Veteran Actor/Hunter Gerald McRaney Named Honorary Chairman of Union Sportsmen’s Alliance
News for Immediate Release
March 16, 2007
Contact: Kate Cywinski, (615) 781-4999
kcywinski@trcp.org
Veteran Actor/Hunter Gerald McRaney Named Honorary Chairman
of Union Sportsmen’s Alliance
WASHINGTON — Gerald McRaney, actor and outspoken proponent of hunting, fish and wildlife conservation and gun rights, has agreed to serve as the Honorary Chairman of the newly formed Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA), a national program of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) designed to address the hunting and fishing interests of its 20 affiliated union partners and their members who hunt, fish and recreate in the outdoors.
“I couldn’t be more pleased to be invited to sit atop this significant sportsmen’s program,” McRaney said. “The great work of the TRCP in creating more hunting and fishing access for working class Americans is truly a motivating factor for me, and one that allows me to lend my name and energy to this project.”
In early 2007, the TRCP, a coalition of hunting, fishing and conservation organizations, and its 20 affiliated AFL-CIO labor union partners collaborated to create the USA program. The goal of the collaboration was to provide more than 3.2 million union workers across the U.S. and Canada who hunt, fish and recreate in the outdoors their own dues-based sporting club that will bring unprecedented opportunities for discounts on outdoor gear, travel and services.
The USA will recruit and engage tens of thousands of union sportsmen and women, adding strength and influence to the TRCP’s efforts to guarantee access for hunters and anglers, conserve fish and wildlife habitat, and increase funding for conservation.
“Gerald McRaney is truly an American classic; he is an actor's actor, a sportsman's sportsman,” stated Matthew B. Connolly Jr., President Emeritus of TRCP. “He has much in common with the members of USA, and like them, he continues to work diligently in his pursuit to perfect his craft.”
“I can’t think of a better spokesperson or representative for the USA,” said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper. “Gerald McRaney is one of the finest voices and supporters in our field, and his dedication to the future of hunting and fishing is unparalleled.”
“Gerald McRaney is an icon of the outdoors,” said Tom Buffenbarger, President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) and TRCP board member. “We’re proud to have him on board as Honorary Chairman and look forward to the days ahead as this exciting new program moves forward.”
McRaney is among the country’s most popular and enduring actors, having starred in primetime CBS programs for 20 consecutive years. He recently finished a Screen Actors Guild nominated performance on HBO's acclaimed Deadwood series, is the star of the hit CBS series Jericho, and is the host of the award-winning World of Beretta series on VERSUS.
He is well-known for his starring roles as Rick Simon in the hit action-adventure series Simon & Simon, as America’s favorite U.S. Marine in Major Dad, and as Russell Green in The Promised Land. He’s also had a recurring role as Senate majority leader in NBC’s Mr. Sterling. In addition, he’s starred in dozens of made-for-television movies and has the distinction of being the last gunfighter to square off against Matt Dillon in the final episode of Gunsmoke. “That was a childhood fantasy come true,” McRaney said.
A native of Mississippi, McRaney grew up hunting, fishing and shooting and has never lost his passion for the sports. He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Delta Burke. McRaney has three children, Jessica, Angus and Katy.
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The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is a coalition of leading hunting, fishing and conservation organizations and individual partners working to guarantee access to places to hunt and fish, conserve fish and wildlife habitat, and increase funding for conservation.
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