After years of hunting quail, doves and pheasant, Lowell Henderson is parting with his gun collection.

“He knows he can never hunt again,” Henderson’s nephew Bernie Huss said. “He knows he could use the money to pay medical bills.”

Henderson, who battles emphysema, is putting his shot guns, rifles and gun cabinet up for auction. The collection – which includes a Winchester 1300 with choke tubes in good condition – will be among the items auctioned at the Jayhawk Chapter 22nd annual Quail Unlimited Banquet tonight at the Lawrence Holidome.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner begins at 7 p.m.

About 350 people are expected to attend the banquet, which also will feature Chiefs cheerleaders. Items to be auctioned include artwork, jewelry and more than 20 guns.

Huss said his uncle was an outdoorsman for most of his life until about five years ago.

Chapter President David Sehorn said the chapter has never had a benefit auction of this sort in the past, but believed it was the right thing to do.

“We thought (Henderson) needed some help,” Sehorn said. “If it works good we’ll do it next year.”