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Mike Reynolds, a descendent of the Kleberg family of King Ranch, smiles as he talks during The Great American Shoot, a fundraising event benefitting The Special Forces Trust, which supports America’s Green Berets at the Dallas Gun Club in Lewisville, Texas, Saturday, October 3, 2026.<\/p>\n
Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Over a decade ago, a descendant of the family behind Texas<\/a>\u2019 legendary King Ranch<\/a> decided he wanted to raise money for a nonprofit that funds mental health support for the U.S. Army Special Forces. Instead of a gala, he put on a shooting competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Great Americans Shoot, the 13th annual event to raise money for Special Forces Trust, is taking place at the Dallas Gun Club in Lewisville<\/a> this weekend. After a Friday dinner, the shoot officially kicked off Saturday with a clay competition, where participants shot at artificial targets.<\/p>\n The event drew donors and members from Texas, Arizona, Florida, California, New Jersey, Connecticut and elsewhere, said The Great American Shoot\u2019s founder, Mike Reynolds. He grew up in Austin, and his late mother was a part of the Kleburg family associated with King Ranch<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A man fires a shotgun during The Great American Shoot, a fundraising event benefitting The Special Forces Trust, which supports America’s Green Berets at the Dallas Gun Club in Lewisville, Texas, Saturday, October 3, 2026.<\/p>\n Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Participants wore matching shirts with their team names on them \u2013 such as \u201cThe Inglourious Basterds\u201d and \u201cCome and Take It\u201d \u2014 while rain fell on them Saturday morning as they fired shotguns. On Sunday, attendees will participate in a multi-gun competition.<\/p>\n A man fires a shotgun during The Great American Shoot, a fundraising event benefitting The Special Forces Trust, which supports America’s Green Berets at the Dallas Gun Club in Lewisville, Texas, Saturday, October 3, 2026.<\/p>\n Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Fort Worth<\/a> billionaire investor Lee Bass<\/a> and Walter Finger of Houston\u2019s prominent real estate family are among the event\u2019s backers.<\/p>\n Each donor had to donate or raise $10,000 to participate, Reynolds said. So far, around $2.4 million has been raised this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In 2011, Reynolds met military members who were competing in military-inspired challenges for the online reality T.V. series Maximum Warrior. Reynolds was struck by his observation that, although it didn\u2019t bother them, the service members assumed that people outside of their circles didn\u2019t care about the work they did.<\/p>\n A man fires a shotgun during The Great American Shoot, a fundraising event benefitting The Special Forces Trust, which supports America’s Green Berets at the Dallas Gun Club in Lewisville, Texas, Saturday, October 3, 2026.<\/p>\n Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n \u201cWe came up with the idea that everybody would like to be able to do more than shake their hand and say \u2018Thank you for your service,\u2019\u201d Reynolds said, sporting a shirt covered with an American flag.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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