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Camp Compass Founder Annoni Earns National Honor

By Dave Ehrig | Special to The Morning Call January 17, 2009 Camp Compass founder and Allentown Trexler Middle School teacher John Annoni finished second in a national online poll for his efforts in bringing the outdoors to inner-city youth. Annoni, though, came away with the first prize of $1,000 for his organization thanks to a stunning gesture made by the winner at the awards ceremony Thursday in Orlando, Fla. The winner, Randy Luth of Minnesota, said that there was someone else more deserving of the award, presented by Outdoor Life Magazine. ”My wife and I have decided to match the award for John Annoni and his kids at Camp Compass. His work is truly remarkable and deserves everyone’s support,” Luth said at the podium at the ceremony. Luth was the top vote-getter in a poll of 25 nominees that drew more than 10 million votes. This second banquet drew attention to ”25 people who were great examples of the innovation and hard work happening in the outdoor community,” said Todd Smith, editor of Outdoor Life. The magazine named 25 people from throughout the nation as its most influential in hunting and fishing for 2008. Annoni, a sixth-grade math and science teacher at Trexler in the Allentown School District, is the founder of Camp Compass Academy, a conservation curriculum that has earned federal recognition for his program introducing inner-city youth to the outdoors. Surprised, Annoni walked to the podium Thursday to cheers and applause from the other honorees and their families. ”This will give us some equipment to get the kids through the next year, ”Annoni said when asked about the gift from Luth. ”Our programs depend on the donations and kindness of others in the outdoors industry. But it really is an honor to have the kids at Camp Compass recognized like this.” In 1994, Annoni started a conservation curriculum that grew into Camp Compass Academy. The banquet was at the annual SHOT Show (Sport, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show). Luth was honored for helping to change national opinion about service rifles, the so-called assault weapons whose federal ban was lifted by Congress in 2004. Luth’s company, DPMS Firearms, builds AR-15 rifles. With grassroots support from gun manufacturers, retail vendors and hunters, he earned 53 percent of the online votes, followed by Annoni with 36 percent.