PEORIA, Illinois - April 12, 2017 - The Chairman's Roll of Honor chapters are among Ducks Unlimited's most prestigious volunteer chapters throughout the nation. Every year, the list is reserved for the chapters that raise $250,000 to $1 million for DU's habitat conservation work. In 2016, Illinois had two Peoria-based chapters included on the list: State Convention chapter and Peoria chapter.

"These fundraising events are the backbone of DU's habitat conservation efforts, and the volunteers who make up these chapters are the force making a difference for North American waterfowl populations," said DU President Paul Bonderson. "It takes a great deal of effort to achieve the Chairman's Roll of Honor level, and these chapters deserve to be congratulated by every person who enjoys the outdoors."

These chapters earned spots on the Chairman's Roll of Honor list out of the more than 2,600 DU chapters nationwide that host more than 3,900 fundraising events throughout the year. DU's event fundraising system has become a model for other conservation organizations around the world and has funded a significant portion of the more than 13.8 million acres of wetlands and associated habitat DU has conserved since 1937.

The 2016 Chairman's Roll of Honor chapters also have the distinction of being honored during DU's 80th National Convention in San Antonio, May 31 - June 4, with many chapter representatives in attendance.

"DU chapters across the country are showing that the future of waterfowl populations and the wetlands that filter our water and protect us from flooding are important to them and to their communities," Bonderson said. "The more money we raise, the more habitat we can conserve and the closer we are to preserving our waterfowl hunting heritage. I would like to personally thank all our Chairman's Roll of Honor chapters for their achievement and look forward to seeing them among our distinguished chapters next year."

To see the full list of Chairman's Roll of Honor chapters, visit www.ducks.org.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13.8 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

Media Contact:
Chris Sebastian
(734) 623-2017
csebastian@ducks.org