It's been 35 years. Now it's over. The hounds have bayed their last. The final coon has been treed.
The 4-State Cystic Fibrosis Benefit Coon Hunt ended Saturday in it's 35th year of coming together to chase the coon, win the gold and silver best of show belt buckle and secure the improvement in the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis.
The hunt has had significant success. Organizers Patsy and Dexter Whatley-who have a daughter with CF-say the event has raised about $750,000 over the years.
And while CF has been thwarted, there remains one difficulty that the coon hunters will still be concerned about.
"The research in these years has been so successful that now with the medication and techniques, the CF patient age expectation is 37.5 years when it used to be 9 or 10 years," the Whatleys say.
"We used to give all our money to the CF foundation in the search for a cure," Patsy Whatley said. "And that has been very rewarding. But now the price for treatment and medication is out of reach in many cases in America.
"For example, some American patients find themselves with one new drug by Vertex Pharmaceuticals priced at $300,000. Even with insurance and assistance that copay is $15,000."
So the local coon hunters' funding work will go in another direction.
"While the coon hunt will be no more because we've reach an older age, we see young people joining in, and we'll hope for a resurgence. There may be smaller hunts and other activities," Dexter said.
"We're having our board draw up a grant program that will give aid directly to the families. This is our plan. One patient, one grant," Dexter said "We are in the process of working it out. We'll put out the information, and if the patient meets the need, they can fill out the form and contact us."
The Whatleys praise the benefits of the activity.
"Coon hunting is such clean fun that teaches responsibility."
And so the enthusiasts had one last final hunt on the two days of Friday and Saturday last week.
"The whole effort has been an exclamation point on the heart of the people who have helped us and benefited by what we've done. It's a bittersweet moment," the Whatleys concluded.