A special drawing for prizes for those who donated to Good Samaritan Ministries’ Deer Project was held on Friday with members of GSM staff, board members, Deer Project committee members and representatives from Big Country Ford.

Winners of the Deer Project prizes were as follows:

Brian Allen of Bangs won the Weatherby Vanguard .270 rifle with Zeiss Scope donated by longtime supporters of the project, Big Country Ford.

Chris Bisbee of Cross Plains won a $500 gift certificate to Weakley-Watson donated by a Deer Project supporter who wished to remain anonymous.

Mark Doremus of Early won a guided aoudad management hunt at the Rocking N Ranch in Blanket donated by the Deer Project Team.

Ed Robbs of Argyle, Texas, won a full shoulder mount redeemable at Santa Anna Custom Processing or Lone Star Taxidermy and Processing.

This year’s Deer Project was an enormous success bringing in more than 16,000 pounds of venison for those at risk of hunger in Brown County.

“We are so excited that this year’s Deer Project turned out as well as it did,” said Angelia Bostick, Executive Director of Good Samaritan Ministries. “The fact that it was so successful is due to so many moving parts from the hunters and donors, to the processors and Deer Project Committee.”

Bostick said they wanted to thank everyone who donated funds or harvested a deer for the project.

“There’s no way of ever telling each hunter or donor how much we appreciate the gift they gave,” Bostick said. “But without them, there would be no Deer Project.”

In addition, Bostick said GSM and the Deer Project Committee wanted to thank their four processors: Lone Star Taxidermy and Processing in Owens, M&M Processing in Zephyr, Perks Processing in Brownwood and Santa Anna Custom Processing.

“We are always so thankful for our processors,” Bostick said. “They have always been so good to work with us on processing the deer at a reduced rate and really promoting the project at their places of business.”

And, this year, Bostick said they were very excited to be able to offer prizes to the hunters as a means to say “Thank You.”

“It really is such a joint effort and, in the end, that is what makes this project so unique,” Bostick said. “Everyone is working together doing what they do best and the people who really benefit are those who now have a lean source of protein on their plate.”

For more information about the Deer Project or Good Samaritan Ministries, please visit their website at goodsambwd.org or call 643-2273.