The soft economy hasn’t stopped the Argyle Chamber of Commerce from thinking bigger for its annual fundraiser.

The second annual Argyle Chamber Sporting Clay Shoot is scheduled for Saturday at the Fossil Pointe Sporting Grounds in Slidell, with a few new twists aimed at drawing a larger crowd.

For starters, the chamber expects a handful of local celebrities to take part in the festivities, including former Cowboys standouts Randy White and Preston Pearson, former Rangers pitcher Jose Guzman, and actor Burton Gilliam.

In addition, the event will be sanctioned for the first time by the National Sporting Clays Association, meaning it will be an opportunity for seasoned shooters to accumulate points toward a possible berth in NSCA national tournaments.

Organizers hope that leads to a deep and diverse field of shooters for the daylong event that will raise money for chamber programs in addition to its student scholarship fund.

“We’ve got a little bit of everything,” said Kim Hinnrichs, executive director of the Argyle chamber. “We think it will be a great time.”

The shoot will be conducted, rain or shine, on a course about 40 minutes northwest of Argyle in eastern Wise County. The course consists of 12 stations, each with a slightly different pattern or terrain. Separate sessions are slated for 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Shooters will navigate the course as a team but will compete individually. The course takes about 2-3 hours to complete, depending upon general skill level.

“I think it promotes the sport,” Hinnrichs said. “That’s not our goal, but a lot of people learn about the sport and some choose to go back.”

Hinnrichs said the idea to hold the clay shoot as an annual fundraiser instead of the standard golf tournament came from the chamber board last year.

“We felt like there were already two major golf tournaments each year in Argyle,” she said. “It’s a good way to make large amounts of money without stepping on their toes.”

Hinnrichs called last year’s inaugural shoot, which attracted 73 participants, a success. She expects about 100 shooters on Saturday.

“For a first-time event, we felt it was very successful,” Hinnrichs said. “This was something unique and different.”

Cost of the shoot is $125 per session or $200 for both sessions, which includes lunch. Participants must bring their own shotguns and shells. A silent auction will run throughout the day, with prizes including signed sports memorabilia and hunting packages.

The chamber will accept registrations in advance or Saturday on-site. For information, call the chamber at 940-464-9990.

TODD JORGENSON can be reached at 940-566-6871. His e-mail address is tjorgenson@dentonrc.com .