When DeWitt Darity bid on a safari hunting package at a charity auction in the spring of 2013, he knew he’d gotten a bargain.What the father of two didn’t realize was that he’d made an investment, and he’d have to wait another year to find out the true value of his purchase.With his oldest son Luke’s senior year approaching, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a unique graduation gift.“We met with our professional hunter (guide) in Northeast Missouri and considered the animals we wanted to hunt,” explained wife, Jeanel, recounting the tedious preparation process.No detail was missed as the family of four, including youngest son, Jack, prepared to embark on the journey of a lifetime that would result in them bagging 10 animals over a seven-day hunting excursion.“It exceeded our expectations,” said Dewitt. “It was an adventure, rather than just a vacation.”A month after Luke’s commencement from Warrenton High School, the family departed on a 16-hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. From there they were escorted three-and-a-half hours north by their professional hunting guide, Jacque.“It was an adventurous big-trophy game hunt from sun up to sun down,” said Jeanel, who made the first kill of the excursion. She had limited hunting experience going into the trip and had never shot an animal until dropping a zebra in the Limpopo provence.Jeanel says while many of the animals they killed are considered exotic by Americans, they are abundant and a primary food source in Africa. That said, no part of an animal was spared, and hunts were very thorough.“It’s very much a game of perseverance,” said Jeanel. “You follow through to the very end. If you shoot an animal, you have to track it.”The Daritys were fortunate to track the animals they shot with relative ease, but other groups would sometimes search for an entire day before spotting their wounded game.“The game hunting benefits all cultures there,” said Jeanel. “Most of the kills are utilized at the campsite. Anything excess they will sell at the market or give to the local tribe who works at the campground.”Each hunt was deliberate, devoted to one hunter and one specific type of animal. Luke recalls his favorite kill, the result of a three-hour stalk of a gemsbuck. He crawled, sprinted and crawled again in pursuit of the animal.“It was a really beautiful animal and a fun hunt,” said Luke. “The terrain was wide open with tall grassland like the Serengeti. I was able to get one last shot before nightfall.”The Daritys took turns hunting one-on-one with their guide. There were three types of hunts — an open terrain hunt, a mountain hunt and a bush hunt — with some of the hunting taking place in the dark.It was one of the few times the family felt uneasy about their safety. De Witt recalls Jacque spotlighting a giant spider hovering over him as he crawled under a bush and another time the family heard a hippo nearby. The area in which they were hunting isn’t habitat to many predator animals like lions or tigers, but does possess animals prone to charging.Like his dad, Jack made two kills, bagging an ostrich and a wildabeast that had the locals talking.“We stalked the pack for a while and there were two that ran into the open field,” said Jack. “I took my shot and dropped one. They kept measuring it, and they said it may be the biggest wildabeast they’ve ever seen on the property.”All told, Luke killed four animals, including a jakul. While the pictures and mounts will provide memories, nothing can convey the importance of the quality family time shared together. There were distractions from phones, computers or TVs — just the simplicity of nature.“It was definitely a lot better than most graduation gifts,” said Luke. “It was an experience I can share with my family for the rest of my life.”The Daritys plan to have several of the animals mounted or the hides turned into rugs. It’s a process that may take a year, but in the meantime the family will reminisnice about a charitable donation that brought infinite memories to its donors.“It was definitely a trip of a lifetime,” said De Witt.

The Darity family took an African hunting trip for their oldest son Luke's graduation gift.

Derrick Forsythe photo.