GREAT AMERICAN PREVIEW TRAINING FOR TEAMWORK at … · Year is a custom Kimber Pro Carry II 1911 pistol featuring engraving, gold plating, and Crimson Trace lasergrips. QUARTER 4

QUARTER 2 | 2014 Traditions 1

SECTION

2015 CORPORATE SPONSORSIndustry supporters make Friends of NRA’s nationwide fundraising efforts possible

GREAT AMERICAN PREVIEWThe NRA Foundation Banquet at NRA’s second annual Great American Outdoor Show

TRAINING FOR TEAMWORK

Friends of NRA headquarters staff visit Field Staff to build

relationships and experience

2015 CORPORATE SPONSORS

Preserving the Past, Funding the Future

Friends of NRA’s 2015 Standard Packagefirearms and merchandise blend history and in-novation to fund the future of shooting sports.

Features4

QUARTER 4 | 2014 Traditions

Traditions is published quarterly by The NRA Foundation, Inc., for the benefit of its donors and other interested parties.11250 Waples Mill Road . Fairfax, VA 22030 . www.nrafoundation.org

Mission Statement Established in 1990, The NRA Foundation, Inc. (“NRA Foundation”) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that raises tax-deductible contributions in support of a wide range of firearms-related public interest activities of the National Rifle Association of America and other organizations that defend and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. These activities are designed to promote firearms and hunting safety, to enhance marksmanship skills of those participating in the shooting sports, and to educate the general public about firearms in their historic, technological, and artistic context. Funds granted by The NRA Foundation benefit a variety of constituencies throughout the United States, including children, youth, women, individuals with physical disabilities, gun collectors, law enforcement officers, hunters, and competitive shooters.

Editor & Designer Christina Paladeau

Co-EditorNicole McMahon

Mr. Frank R. Brownell, IIIPresident

Mrs. Carolyn D. MeadowsVice President

The Honorable Joe M. AllbaughTrustee

Mr. William A. BachenbergTrustee

Ms. Susan HayesTrustee

Mr. Steve HornadyTrustee

Mr. Eric JohansonTrustee

Mr. George K. Kollitides IITrustee

Ms. Susan KrileyTrustee

Mr. Wayne R. LaPierreExOfficio

Ms. Anne LeeTrustee

Mr. Owen P. MillsTrustee

Mr. James W. Porter IITrustee

Mr. Dennis J. ReeseTrustee

Captain John C. SiglerTrustee

Mr. H. Wayne SheetsExecutive Director

Mr. Wilson H. Phillips, Jr.Treasurer

Mr. Skipp GalythlySecretary

Board of Trustees & Officers

Staff

National News

Regional Updates

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The 2015 Great American Outdoor Show Preview

PROGRAM PROFILE |Hunters’ Leadership Forum

SPOTLIGHT | NRA Staff Training for Teamwork

INDUSTRY CORNER | 2015 National Corporate Sponsors

The Latest Stories from Friends of NRA and NRA Foundation Grant Recipients

Cover Story

ON THE COVER

The 2015 Friends of NRA Gun of the Year is a custom Kimber Pro Carry II 1911 pistol featuring engraving, gold plating, and Crimson Trace lasergrips.


A lot can happen in 15 years. It doesn’t feel that long, but that is how many years I have had the pleasure of being a part of the NRA Foundation finance team. During my first year in 1999, grant pro-gram funding was $5.6 million, the endowment balance reached $6

million and Friends of NRA, the grassroots fundraising program for The NRA Foundation, raised $13 million. In 2014 over $32 million in grant funding was awarded, the endowment balance grew to reach $46 million and Friends of NRA raised $66 million for shooting sports programs across the country. All of that growth and so much more is possible when you have a passionate and dedicated group of people working toward an essential and common goal—a goal tied to our Second Amendment rights, to our American heritage and to freedom at its very core.

What does it really mean to grow from $5.6 million to $32 million in annual grant funding? It means funding approximately 2,000 more grants in 2014 than we were able to in 1999, tripling our reach. It means that over 15 years 30,000 programs received essential funding to conduct programs in local communities across the country, teaching firearms and hunting safety, enhanc-ing marksmanship skills and expanding the reach of the Second Amendment to many who would not otherwise have the opportunity. Without NRA Foundation funding many of these programs would simply cease to exist.

Endowment growth from $6 million in 1999 to $46 million in 2014 means a difference between $300,000 and $2,300,000 per year in available grant funding. Endowments provide a permanent source of program funding since donor contributions are invested and never spent, and only a portion of investment earnings are available for spending each year. As a result, there is a perpetual stream of income to fund crucial firearms-related programs in the future.

For the Friends of NRA program to go from raising $13 million in 1999 to raising approximately $66 million in 2014, it takes a dedicated team of committee volunteers, field representatives, staff, sponsors and event attendees who all believe passionately in our Second Amendment freedoms and work tirelessly to outdo themselves year after year. Over 1,000 events were held in 2014, nearly 500 more than the number held in 1999.

None of the success we’ve achieved over the past 15 years would be possible without you. Together we make a difference. Thank you for all you do to help preserve our traditions and freedoms.

I wonder what new achievements are in store over the next 15 years!

Guest Editorial

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NRA FOUNDATION AT WWW.NRAFOUNDATION.ORG

By Christie MajorsNRA Foundation Director of Finance, National Rifle Association

WITNESSING 15 YEARS OF GROWTH

FOR THE NRA FOUNDATION

Each year Friends of NRA assembles a new and unique mer-chandise package designed to support and inspire the pro-gram’s fundraising efforts. This year’s collection of 30 items encompasses a variety of exclusive and custom pieces as

well as pieces that honor significant people, moments and traditions in American and shooting sports history.

The six Regional Directors of Field Staff compose the selection committee, which chooses pieces based on quality, uniqueness, fundraising potential and compatibility with The NRA Foundation and Friends of NRA’s ideals. The desire to honor American crafts-manship also plays a major part in the selection process, and nearly two-thirds of the items in this year’s collection are made in the USA.

The chosen firearms, merchandise, gear and framed décor reflect months and sometimes years of behind-the-scenes planning, prepa-ration and production. Many represent the combined efforts of multiple contributors brought together in their support for Friends of NRA: manufacturers and embellishers, metal casters and wood craftsmen, marksmen, artists and framers, to name a few.

By Christina Paladeau Event Marketing & Communications Coordinator,

National Rifle Association

4 Traditions QUARTER 4 | 2014


This collaborative method truly shines in the 2015 Gun of the Year, a customized Kimber Pro Carry II. A take on the classic 1911, this pistol is smaller and lighter than the original full-size model, making it ideal for concealed carry while still packing the full stopping power of the .45 ACP cartridge. Etching and 24k gold plating by Baron Technology, Inc., and custom Crimson Trace master series lasergrips bearing the NRA logo give this piece a design unlike any other in the Pro Carry family.

The Stars and Stripes Guitar autographed by Ted Nugent and the Annie Oakley Replica Target Set also represent the involve-ment and coordination of multiple participants. “After great suc-cess with our limited edition signed instruments, this year we are following up the Charlie Daniels pieces with this very patriotic guitar hand-signed by Ted Nugent,” says Central Region Director Chad Franklin. Thanks to the efforts of NRA-ILA Deputy Chief of Staff Scott Christman and some great volunteers in Texas, Ted Nugent signed the 1,200 guitars needed for the standard packages at every Friends of NRA banquet held in 2015.

The Annie Oakley Replica Target Set features a replica of one of her heart-shot targets, which she handed out as free passes for ad-mission to the Wild West Show. A .22 long rifle bullet and casing fired from Annie Oakley’s Stevens Offhand Target Model No. 35 pistol by NRA directors, including Executive Director of General Operations Kyle Weaver, and headquarters staff accompanies the target.

“We were able to borrow the gun from the NRA National Fire-arm Museum’s collection and shoot 1,200 rounds at the NRA Range one day this past February,” says Merchandise Manager Kathy Purtell. “It was a fun project to take part in, being able to shoot the pistol with such history behind it.”

Other items inspired by the desire to preserve the past include the Rossi Model 92 Rifle, a modern tribute to the firearms of the American frontier, and the Replica “Indian Chief” Bullet Draw-ing. The bullet drawing reproduces an item in the NRA National Firearms Museum collection that showcases a popular talent of the famous “Shooting Linds,” Winchester Marksmen Dot and Ernie Lind.

No one knows more about how merchandise items contribute to the fundraising success of banquets around the country than the NRA Field Representatives who auction them off at each event; 2014’s best selling item was the Dinner Bell suggested by Iowa and Nebraska NRA Field Rep Tim Bacon. This year’s collection features numerous items selected or created based on ideas from individual field reps: the Conceal Carry Robe from Eastern Penn-sylvania and Delaware’s Kory Enck; the Welcome Friends of NRA Sign from Michigan’s Al Herman; the Farson Blade Survival Tool and LUCID Gen III HD7 Red Dot Sight from Dave Manzer in Wyoming; and the Tervis Tumbler Set from Tom Knight in South Florida.

Friends of NRA is proud to share the 2015 Standard Merchan-dise Package. Attend a Friends of NRA banquet to help preserve the past and fund the future of America’s shooting sports traditions by bidding on these exclusive items!

2015 GUN OF THE YEAR

Kimber Pro Carry II 1911

.45 ACP pistol with custom

Crimson Trace lasergrips*

Learn more about the Gun of the Year and all of the items in the 2015 Standard

Merchandise Package by following the QR code to www.friendsofnra.org/Merchandise

*Nearly two-thirds of this year’s items are made in the USA. Look for the asterisk

next to the item name that denotes American-made products!


Rossi Model 92 Rifle .44 Mag. with NRA Coin

Beretta A300 Outlander Max5 Camo Shotgun*

Hamilton Shotgun Case

Crickett .22LR Rifle with Pewter NRA Coin*

Savage Model 11 XP Predator Camo with Bushnell Scope

Walther PPK/S .22 with NRA Logo

Gen III HD7 Red Dot Sight


Annie Oakley Replica Target Set*

Charlton HestonCommemorative Stamp Set*

M16 Patent Plaques*

Good Guy Lives Here Sign*

Replica of “Indian Chief” Bullet Drawing*

Copper Tray with Pewter Eagle*


Stars and Stripes Guitar Autographed by Ted Nugent

“Chain Keel” Pintail Decoy

Salt and Pepper Mills

Tervis Tumbler Set*

Colt Bowie Knife

Neon Clock*

Trolley Luggage Set

Farson Blade Survival Tool


Conceal Carry Robe*

Ranger Assault Knife*

Foothold Trap*Vintage Dome Trunk and Tray*

H11 Handgun Case* NRA Blanket*

Freedom Hunter Knife*

Welcome Friends of NRA Sign*


By Nicole McMahonEvent Marketing & Communications Manager, National Rifle Association

NRA FOUNDATIONBANQUETAT THE GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOOR SHOW


NATIONAL NEWS

The debut of the Great American Out-door Show in 2014 created a lot of buzz and received positive reviews from the shooting sports community

across the globe. The show attracted over 170,000 attendees and generated an estimated $70 million in revenue for the Harrisburg, Pa. region. The NRA saw a 23 percent increase in attendance, a 27 percent increase in hotel reservations and a 50 percent increase in local hotel participation from when the show was sponsored by Reed Exhibi-tions in 2012. Due to the overwhelming success of the show and its massive 650,000 square foot expanse of guns, gear and more, the Great Ameri-can Outdoor Show is coined “the largest sporting and outdoor show in the world.”

In 2015 attendees can expect the same level of excitement and greatness as 2014 thanks to presenting sponsor Outdoor Channel and associ-ate sponsor Cabela’s. The show will feature over 1,000 exhibitors, an NRA Country concert that will blow attendees away with music by Lee Brice and Thompson Square, and the NRA Foundation Banquet and Wall of Guns sponsored by Henry Repeating Arms.

In the same tradition as Friends of NRA events held throughout the country, the NRA Founda-tion Banquet will have an impressive live auction with hunts, firearms and exclusive gear. The si-lent auction, games and raffles will feature hun-dreds of opportunities for attendees to win qual-ity merchandise while having fun supporting the shooting sports. To top it all off, attendees will feast on a home-style barbecue dinner with deli-cious smoked brisket and turkey. Banquet guests should plan on arriving at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 12, in the PA Preferred Ballroom.

The Wall of Guns will make its appearance in the main hall of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. Starting on Saturday, February 7, and

running through Sunday, February 15, partici-pants will have the chance to win their choice of over 40 firearms of different makes and models or they can select the instant-win $400 cash prize. Wall of Guns tickets are $10 each, and only 100 tickets are sold each round. Once 100 tickets are sold a winner is drawn and a new round begins immediately after. Special ticket package options will also be available, so make sure you stop by the Wall of Guns for your chance to win. (Dau-phin County, Pa. raffle number 198)

The Great American Outdoor Show will also feature family-friendly activities like the Family Fun Zone, Pyramyd Air Gun Range and the 3 Gun Experience. But whether folks attend the show for the exhibitors, entertainment or a day out with friends and family, all attendees will be supporting America’s shooting sports traditions and outdoor heritage. For those who can’t attend but still want to join in on the experience, NRA will be showcasing the week’s activities on social media with #WhatGetsYouOutdoors.

Check out the next two pages for some of the hunts, firearms and games that will be featured at The NRA Foundation Banquet.

The Great American Outdoor Show runs February 7-15 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pa. Join The NRA Foundation at the show! Buy your tickets for the Show and the NRA Foundation Banquet at www.greatamericanout-doorshow.org. All banquet net proceeds benefit The NRA Foundation, the country’s leading charita-ble organization in support of the shooting sports. Learn more at www.nrafoundation.org.

For more information about the event or to learn about donation and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.friendsofnra.org or contact Nicole McMahon at [email protected].


NATIONAL NEWS

AMMO BOXES TABLE OF GUNSFeaturing Henry Repeating Arms Firearms

TURKEY STAB GAMEFirearms Donated by O.F. Mossberg & Sons

HUNTING TRIP FOR 2 OR 4 IN SOUTH AFRICADonated by Numzaan Safaris

Take an unforgettable trip to Limpopo, South Africa, for a hunting experience on the bushveld landscape. The location at the heart of Southern Africa’s greatest concentration of game and an abundance of fine trophy animals make this hunt an extraordinary affair. Five-day trip includes accommodations, $500 trophy fee per hunter, field preparations and a licensed professional guide. Airfare not included. 2015-2016.

BANQUET & AUCTION PREVIEW

TROPHY WHITETAIL HUNT FOR 1 IN CENTRAL VIRGINIADonated by Monquin Creek Outfitters

Take part in archery or muzzleloader season and encounter central Virginia’s beautiful farm country. Experienced guides and stands set to take advantage of the deer movement and wind direction for each day’s hunt will combine with southern hospitality to make your hunting trip a memorable one. Three-day trip includes accommodations, vehicle with guide and licensed professional hunter, trophy preparations and field preparations. Airfare not included. 2015.AU

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GAM

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$150includes: $20

per ticket $20per entry

Ammo Box & Knife4 tickets for games

1 ticket for a chance to win a Weatherby Eurosport

with Brunton scope and $300 raffle pack

702 Plinkster Duck Commander and MVP Predator with Scope

Henry Lever Action Frontier Rifle

Remove one of 100 knives from the turkey and receive

various amounts of ticketsfor the chance to win a

Up to 10 entries at one table

will each win a

$100 includes:

$300 includes:

$500 includes:

$1,000 includes:

$2,000 includes:

5 White TicketsNRA Foundation Hat

15 White Tickets, 4 Blue Tickets, 2 Red Tickets and 1 Gold TicketNRA Foundation Hat

25 White Tickets, 8 Blue Tickets, 4 Red Tickets and 2 Gold TicketsNRA Foundation Hat

50 White Tickets, 10 Blue Tickets, 6 Red Tickets and 3 Gold TicketsNRA Foundation HatChoose one:

50 White Tickets, 10 Blue Tickets, 6 Red Tickets and 4 Gold TicketsNRA Foundation HatKimber Ultra Carry II

Savage Axis XP .30-06 RifleWinchester SXP Extreme

Defender 12 ga. Shotgun YETI Tundra 65 Cooler

WHITE, BLUE & RED TICKETS correspond to

tables featuring progressively higher-value

items.

GOLD TICKETSare for chances

to win a SecureIt FAST Box Falcon

gun safe and three surprise firearms.

NATIONAL NEWS


AcuSport CorporationAdams ArmsAlaska Rafting AdventuresArmscor USA/Rock Island ArmoryBig Horn Armory, Inc.Brent WeilBullet Designs, Inc.Century ArmsColorado Gun BrokerColumbia Basin Friends of NRACross Machine Tool Co., Inc.Daniel Bernard, NB SafarisDouble Deuce RanchElk Bomb Shooting Supplies LLCFMK FirearmsFosTech Arms LLC

Gary and Devin RauserGettle Trophy HuntsGuns and Leather, Inc.Haggard & StockingHenry Repeating ArmsHM Defense & TechnologyIndiana Friends of NRAJack CannonJim ShaskyJoe BurnettKempf Gun ShopKensington Publishing Corp.Lahey Machine LLCLaserLyteLegacy Sports InternationalLittle Canyon Shooting

L.T. Wright Handcrafted KnivesMonquin Creek OutfittersMontana Rifle CompanyMountain Rifle Shop & MW KnivesNEMO Arms, Inc.Numzaan SafarisO. S. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.Ottawa OrdnancePyramid Air, Inc.ShootSteel.comShow Me Birds Hunting Resort, LLCSilencerCoSitka GearSlide FireSoCal Friends of NRASoundcheck Nashville, LLC

Springfield ArmoryStan’s Body ShopTailgates Youth CaféTamarack SportsTenPoint CrossbowsThe Best of the WestTK FirearmsTrijicon, Inc.Vision Armory LLCVisionary Marketing, Inc.Weatherby, Inc.White Lion SafarisWild Bill’s Old West Trading Co.Wild Wildebeest Safaris

GENEROUS DONORS

The 2015 NRA Foundation events at the Great American Outdoor Show and NRA Annual Meetings would not be possible without the support of all our donors.

2015 NRA FOUNDATION BANQUET AND WALL OF GUNS SPONSOR

NATIONAL NEWS


This season on NRA All Access, you’ll hear stories of strength and courage, you’ll meet leaders, fighters and difference makers.

YOU’LL SEE TODAY’S NRA.

NRA All Access, Fridays at 8:30pm EST


Spotlight NATIONAL NEWS

By Christina PaladeauEvent Marketing & Communications Coordinator,National Rifle Association

Training for Teamwork

Experience, perspective and mutual understanding provide the framework for seamless and successful teamwork, a crucial aspect of Friends of NRA’s operation. Like any large organization, this pro-gram relies on an extensive and intricate network of team members working both individually and collectively to achieve a shared goal.

From NRA headquarters in Fairfax, Va., Volunteer Fundraising (VF) staff provides support to the Field Staff management of the local, grassroots efforts to fundraise for The NRA Foundation and America’s shooting sports traditions. The Field Staff comprises 52 NRA Field Representatives who oversee the Friends of NRA banquets held throughout the year all across the country. Field reps in each area coordinate local volunteers who organize each banquet, while VF staff provide the necessary material, merchan-dise, marketing and financial structures and support.

This year, NRA Field Operations began a new training program for its VF and Field Staff, providing each group with the oppor-tunity to learn more about how it affects and assists the other. A group of VF staff members travelled to different regions of the country, leaving their offices at headquarters and venturing into the field to gain perspective into the role each team member plays in the success of the Friends of NRA program.

During four- to five-day trips, the VF staff shadowed field reps at local committee meetings and events. Stepping into field reps’ and volunteers’ shoes and experiencing their daily work included traveling back-and-forth across states, interacting with committee members, unpacking and packing trucks full of support materials and merchandise, setting up and working banquets, and more.

Just like field trips that children take as students, the trips to the field undertaken by NRA’s Volunteer Fundraising staff mem-bers provided the best kind of learning opportunity: hands-on experience. And, as participants built a better understanding of fundraising at the grassroots level, they strengthened the rela-tionship between staff at headquarters and personnel in the field and enhanced the teamwork behind Friends of NRA’s nationwide efforts in support of the shooting sports and Second Amendment freedoms.

NRA headquarters staff members travel from the office to the field and strengthen the

Friends of NRA fundraising team


After working at NRA headquarters for a year and a half supporting the Field Staff who guide Friends of NRA’s grassroots fundraising efforts, I was thrilled to visit Brian Smith and have the opportunity to experience those efforts first-hand. Beginning with a pre-event committee meeting for the Tri-River Friends of NRA in New Hampshire and continuing with the Northeast Kingdom and Manchester banquets in Vermont and New Hampshire, respectively, the trip enhanced my understanding of events, committees and attendees.

Witnessing the enthusiasm and skill of Brian and his volunteers, as well as the flexibility and creativity with which hiccups in event planning and execution were overcome, was an amazing demonstration of the capabilities of the Friends program. Working alongside them as I helped to set up and run various aspects of the banquets, from staging the merchandise items for the silent and live auctions to running games and selling tickets, drove home the importance of teamwork. That teamwork truly paid off for the Manchester committee mem-bers, who put on their first High Caliber Club event; being there to celebrate that success with them was a highlight of my trip.

I’ve been working with Steve Wilson for seven years, but it wasn’t until last year that I actually saw Steve in the field. In 2013 Steve was a “million dollar” field rep, with his banquets raising more than $1 million, so visiting him meant seeing fundraising at its best. Despite my understanding of what field reps do on a daily basis, actually going out into the field and experiencing it was differ-ent story. We logged over 2,000 miles in less than a week. We drove through Placerville, Calif., to Tahoe, then three stops in Nevada in one day. In the next couple days we drove back to California where we met with the Sonora Friends of NRA committee and prepared for its event that weekend.

On the day of the event I served as a volunteer, helping out wherever I could. This was an exceptional event because Steve had four groups in attendance that received NRA Foundation grants. That evening Sonora had a wonderful ban-quet, and I had the privilege to watch it all come together. I will never forget my field visit. I finally got the chance to see Steve in action and meet all the fantas-tic volunteers he works with on a daily basis, including Volunteers of the Year Barry Blaylock and Stan Rothfuss. I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone that made my visit a spectacular adventure!

Nicole McMahon Event Marketing & Communications Manager

SOUTHWEST REGION VISIT

EASTERN CALIFORNIA & WESTERN NEVADAField Reps Steve Wilson and Cole Beverly

Christina Paladeau Event Marketing & Communications Coordinator

EASTERN REGION VISIT

NEW HAMPSHIRE & VERMONTField Rep Brian Smith

PHOTOS This page, from top: Eastern California Field Rep Cole Beverly recognizing the Sonora Friends of NRA committee; Nicole McMahon with Cole Beverly, Nevada Field Rep Steve Wilson and Chairman Chuck Holland; Volunteer of the Year Barry Blaylock with Steve Wilson and their wives; Brian Smith and Christina Paladeau (far left) with the Manchester Friends of NRA committee; The Manchester committee turned the Wall of Guns multiple times at their banquet. Opposite, from top: Attendees at the Medina Area banquet; Liz Foley presents a grant check to local recipients at the Medina Area banquet; Raffle tickets are drawn at the Houston Metro banquet; Manchester banquet attendees celebrate a winning ticket.


My trip to visit Liz Foley was the first time I had ever been to Texas, and it felt like visiting a whole different country. Apart from the obvious difference in climate—the heat was particularly striking during an outdoor event—I immedi-ately noticed how polite everyone was and how much pride Texans took in their home state.

The widespread enthusiasm for gun ownership also provided a much-appre-ciated contrast to my experiences in other places around the country; I saw nu-merous billboards for gun shows, gun shops and firearms training opportunities. The Houston Metro and Medina Area banquets I attended during my trip were the first Friends of NRA events I had ever attended, and I was sincerely amazed by both the volunteers and attendees. All were making an effort to uphold their shooting sports traditions and the freedoms guaranteed by the Second Amend-ment. Being there over 1,500 miles away from home helped me realize how big Friends of NRA is and how it connects hundreds of thousands of people across the nation towards a common goal.

During my visit to see Tom Knight, not only did I get to live in the shoes of a field rep for a few days, but I also met a lot of great volunteers along the way. At our meeting with Chairman Jim Tooker of the West Palm committee, I learned about his dedica-tion to Friends of NRA. Formerly a member of a New York committee, Jim continued his involvement upon moving to Florida, where he is also an instructor in shooting and teaches marketable trades to juvenile delinquents. The next meeting involved the entire Okeechobee committee as it finalized details for the event one week away. Chairwoman Carrie Muldoon got involved with the program by starting a committee in her area after the local 4-H club received an NRA Foundation grant.

The Bay Area event has been chaired by the same person since its establishment at the beginning of the Friends program. The veteran leadership of Chairman Kent Dils helped the committee successfully compensate for a venue in the last stages of con-struction. Once the room filled with people and the games started rolling you could barely notice, and the event raised 20 percent more money than the 2012 banquet. A life of a field rep can be hectic: always on the road, driving from town to town, helping volunteers set up for an event and break it down until late at night, then sleeping in a hotel bed. Nevertheless, the reward comes from meeting the volunteers and attendees and their excitement to support not only the Friends program but also the future of shooting sports.

Peter Lawless Finance Coordinator

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION VISIT

SOUTH TEXASField Rep Liz Foley

Francisco Lee Finance Coordinator

SOUTHERN REGION VISIT

SOUTH FLORIDAField Rep Tom Knight

EVENT SUPPORT COORDINATOR CATHERINE BARSANTIWatch the video footage of Catherine’s trip to visit Mid-California Field Rep Bob Anderson in the Southwest Region and learn about her training expereience! Go to www.friendsofnra.org/CA.

INSPIRING GENERATIONS OF YOUTH INSPIRING GENERATIONS OF YOUTH

O


REGIONAL UPDATE Eastern

By Christina PaladeauEvent Marketing & Communications Coordinator, National Rifle Association

On a beautiful 80-degree day in September, Putnam County Gun Club (PCGC) hosted its 19th annual

Youth Day in Eleanor, W.Va. Hundreds of young and future shooting and outdoor sports enthusiasts had the chance to take part in activities ranging from .22 rifle cowboy action shooting to slingshots and fishing.

“Our emphasis is always on safety, fun and education,” says Dave Thompson. He has coordinated the event since its inaugural year, overseeing everything from organizing the activities to recruiting volunteers. “We have a staff of dedicated gun club members and many range officers and qualified instructors who provide instruction for the participants.”

Almost two decades ago, the PCGC presi-dent asked Thompson and fellow member Bill Shank to put on a youth day. Thompson’s de-cade of experience organizing similar events for the Boy Scouts made him an ideal choice for manager. The first few years saw low turnout, but the event has grown in popularity and now individuals with their parents and grandpar-ents as well as church groups and scout troops come from far and wide to participate.

When attendees arrive and register, they receive a t-shirt and a ticket for drawings held throughout the day. Prizes include mostly shooting sports related items like gun cases, bipods, targets and safety glasses along with fishing poles and other outdoor sporting gear. But the kids do not need that extra motivation to explore the many opportunities to learn and practice shooting and outdoor skills alongside their peers.

After attending a safety orientation, they are free to go to any and all of the activities as many times as they want. Some participants find something they like and stay there the whole time; the .22 rifle bull’s-eye is partic-ularly popular. Shank, coach of the PCGC Smallbore-Junior shooting team, oversees that activity and stays busy all day long as more than 3,000 rounds are fired at the paper tar-gets. Other activities include .22 rifle cowboy action shooting, trap shooting, muzzleloaders, air rifle, BB gun, archery, slingshot, casting and lifesaver throw.

INSPIRING GENERATIONS OF YOUTH INSPIRING GENERATIONS OF YOUTH “Without the support of Friends of NRA

it would be extremely difficult to put on this event,” Thompson remarks. “Most of the ma-terials, firearms and ammo are made possible by The NRA Foundation grant program.” PCGC has received grants for its Youth Day every year since 1998, amounting to $66,000 in support. The vast majority of the funding each year goes to the Youth Day event, but a percentage also goes to shooting practice held throughout the year in preparation for the Governor’s Outdoor Youth Challenge.

No stranger to the fundraising side of the program, Thompson chaired the Midland Trail Friends of NRA committee for more than 10 years before relinquishing the position for 2015. Many members of that committee, which was established during the first year of the Friends of NRA program, also contribute to running the Youth Day. The event provides a great example of why their fundraising efforts are so important.

“The real reward is when a kid who has nev-er shot before comes out and learns to shoot something,” Thompson shares, emphasizing that the Youth Day attracts many first time shooters, both youth participants and their parents, who learn the responsibility, safety and fun of gun handling and shooting. “Last year one little girl who had never shot was at air rifles and was initially very skeptical. She missed her first two shots, but after my son instructed her on using the sights she became a regular participant.”

“As parents and youth leave, all we hear is praise for the day and the great time they had,” concludes Thompson. “The only complaint is that we should do it more often!”

Support your local shooting sports program by applying for a grant at www.nrafoundation.org.


Eastern REGIONAL UPDATE


REGIONAL UPDATE Central

By Sheri McColmanHuron Pointe Sportsmen’s Association, Youth Shotgun Program Public Relations

ANSWERING INTEREST WITH OPPORTUNITY

PHOTOS Top: Two HPSA-YSP team members compete at the ATA-AIM Nationals in Sparta, Ill. Left: Head Coach Vaughn Van Camp provides some one-on-one instruc-tion; HPSA President Joe Burke with Jean and Vaughn Van Camp at the ATA-AIM Nationals. Right: The 2014 HPSA-YSP team at the World Recreation and Shooting Complex in Sparta, Ill.

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Central REGIONAL UPDATE

Coach V., as Vaughn is affectionately known, strives to be knowl-edgeable and to teach students the proper and most current tech-niques. He has taken courses to become a 4-H leader and shooting sports instructor, a Michigan DNR Hunters Education instructor and an NRA Level 1 coach, and he has encouraged many others—both adults and older youth shooters—to do so as well.

Coach and Mrs. V. have always believed that every child deserves the chance to succeed in endeavors from school and scouts to 4-H and the opportunity to try new things. HPSA-YSP participants learn to shoot and may choose to become competitive shooters, and no one is ever turned away due to financial reasons. The program, de-signed to instill in participants safe and proper shooting techniques, teaches commitment, responsibility and leadership to youth from ages six to 23 while promoting sportsmanship, good scholarship, camaraderie, safety, and an all-around love of shooting.

HPSA-YSP not only teaches American and International Trap styles, but encourages its participants to experience the other shot-gun disciplines including skeet, five stand and sporting clays. It helps shooters of all skill levels from beginner to advanced hone and improve their skills. HPSA-YSP has become a family affair for many, with parents and other adults stepping up in volunteer roles too.

NRA Foundation grants received over several years have under-

written some of the costs of this extensive program; over the past four years, HPSA-YSP has received nearly $11,000. This funding made it possible for the HPSA-YSP to obtain 410 and 20 gauge shotguns, providing smaller, younger shooters with guns that fit them properly. Grants have also provided shells and safety equip-ment, making shooting accessible to many youths who may have been prevented due to the high cost.

Friends of NRA and The NRA Foundation’s support of HPSA-YSP has also encouraged its parents and shooters to become more in-volved and to take NRA Coaches’ Training. As a result, the program has multi-tier coaching, and every child gets one-on-one training whether he or she is a brand new shooter or a very experienced one. Our shooters have competed at the local, state and national levels and have brought home many trophies and medals. This would not have been possible for many of our shooters were it not for Friends of NRA fundraising and The NRA Foundation’s grants; Huron Pointe Sportsmen’s Association Youth Shotgun Program thanks them for their selection and support.

Do you know of an organization that could benefit from an NRA Foun-dation grant? Have them apply at nrafoundation.org. To learn more about Friends of NRA in Michigan, go to www.friendsofnra.org/MI.

IT STARTED WITH A SIMPLE QUESTION: “PAPA, CAN I GO WITH YOU?” Ten-year-old Clarence asked when he overheard his dad, Vaughn Van Camp, say he was going to check out the local gun club after retiring in 2000. Little did Vaughn and his wife Jean know that this would lead them to another chapter in their lives of working with young people and sharing their passion for shooting. Under their guidance as head coach and team coordinator, respectively, the Huron Pointe Sportsmen’s Association Youth Shotgun Program (HPSA-YSP) in Lenox, Mich., has grown from a small group to include more than 100 shooters each year.

Reaching and impacting youth plays an instrumental role in building a brighter future for America, and SAFE of Florida, Inc., seems to have found a formula for expanding these processes exponentially.


REGIONAL UPDATE Southern

By David HelmerEvent Support Coordinator, National Rifle Association

The all-volunteer, non-profit organiza-tion focuses on marksmanship training and firearm safety education with an emphasis on youth shooting sports in central Flor-ida. With the help of NRA Foundation grants, SAFE of Florida is able to host out-reach programs related to both safety and team-building through the shooting sports, teaching the community’s youth about re-sponsibility, goal setting, self-reliance and essential values to live by.

Kent Arblaster, president of the SAFE of Florida board of directors, notes, “The community needs this youth outreach, and the [grant-supported] programs were a huge success right away.” In Decem-ber 2013 The NRA Foundation awarded SAFE of Florida a $2,800 grant for an Eddie Eagle costume, which SAFE uses to offer the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program free-of-charge to any central Florida or-ganization, from churches and schools to parks, libraries and youth groups. After receiving the mascot in May, SAFE reached 1,350 children with the Eddie Eagle mes-sage: “STOP! Don’t Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.” Then in August alone, it reached 1,500 children.

SAFE’s Eddie Eagle program has con-tinued to grow and expand, stretching out across central Florida to teach children proper gun safety at programs including summer camps at Orlo Vista Recreation Center, Fort Gatlin Recreation Center and Silver Star Recreation Center in West Or-lando. The rapid growth and marked suc-cess of the program even inspired Central Florida Friends of NRA to invite the mascot to attend its banquet and attract more vol-unteers.

In addition to the grant for the Eddie Eagle costume, SAFE also received over $11,000 for portable shooting range equip-ment and accessories, including eight pellet rifles, scopes, targets and pellets. The range

can be set up or taken down in one hour either outdoors or in local gyms. Orange County Parks & Recreation supplies an in-door area that can hold all eight lanes with room for parents to sit and watch. “The students start out practicing with paper plates then move up to reactive splatter targets that they can take home,” Arblaster explains. “It puts a smile on their face four feet wide.”

When the portable range program first began in May, SAFE only used one gym a month. Once the community saw how fun and rewarding the experience was, Orange County made 12 more gyms available for the program, and Arblaster started offer-ing use of the range to other youth orga-nizations such as local 4-H clubs and Boy Scout troops.

Currently, SAFE of Florida also works with high school JROTC units to orga-nize marksmanship teams, design shooting ranges, teach marksmanship and provide shooting equipment for the cadets. In the future Arblaster hopes to build an indoor range dedicated to youth, to train student teams in proper marksmanship and to offer college scholarships.

Arblaster emphasizes that the organiza-tion’s explosive growth rate places it in des-perate need of volunteers, but this is a testa-ment to its achievements. The huge success of the NRA Foundation grant-funded projects has helped SAFE of Florida impact the lives of thousands of students. Arblast-er concludes, “I would really like to thank Friends of NRA for making all of this pos-sible!.”

Apply for a grant to fund your local shooting sports programs and projects at www.nrafoundation.org! To learn more about Friends of NRA in Florida and raising money for programs like this one, go to www.friendsofnra.org/FL.



Bright

New Youth

forFutures Mexico Marksmen

By Lt. Col. (Ret.) David NaberPiedra Vista High School Army JROTC Rifle Coach

The Piedra Vista High School (PVHS) Army JROTC Marksmanship program in Farmington, N.M., is a growing and excelling youth shooting sports team composed of 19 cadets (13 males and six females).

In the last four years, it has continually improved its rank-ing in Sporter Air Rifle at the Army JROTC National

Championships from 18th in 2011 to 13th in 2012, fifth in 2013 and fourth in 2014. Last year the team also won the New Mexico State Sporter Class Cham-pionships and ranked fourth in the nation at the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) Region-al Championships. The last four years have also seen six members qualify for the CMP’s Junior Distinguished Marksmanship Badge recognizing superior shooting over an extended period.

Piedra Vista will strive to continue excelling in sporter air rifle, but it has also just begun a precision air rifle team. With the success of the sporter team many team members expressed in-terest in shooting competitively at the collegiate level in one of the more than 30 NCAA shooting programs. While these PVHS marksmen are ful-

ly capable of earning their place on a college team, only precisions class—and not sporter class—

competition takes place at that level. As a result, the PVHS program made the decision to move into

precision class. The PVHS Marksmanship program does extensive

fund raising, but it never seems to be enough. Thankful-ly, NRA Foundation grants have not only supported the

sporter rifle program, but now they also have allowed the team to make the move into precision class. Assistance from

The NRA Foundation has really allowed it to grow and will help promising team members reach their full potential as collegiate level athletes.

One of those talented young shooters is Cadet Captain Belle Toney. A junior with a 4.0 GPA, she recently transitioned to preci-sion class. She has set a goal to shoot for the U.S. Air Force Academy or at a university with U.S. Air Force ROTC and NCAA shooting programs. Already an accomplished sporter class marksman who has just earned her distinguished badge, Toney now has almost two years to refine her precision class technique before trying out for a collegiate team.

The opportunities available to Cadet Captain Toney and her teammates reflect the dedication of PVHS Marksmanship program participants as well as the support of The NRA Foundation. Over the last six years, the team has received more than $20,000 in grants. It has used these funds to buy needed range equipment, to defray expenses of attending summer marksmanship camps and clinics and to buy three of the four rifles needed for the new precision team. Now the PVHS Army JROTC marksmen are off to a great start in their new venture as Precision Air Rifle competitors.

Fund local shooting sports programs by applying for an NRA Foun-dation grant at www.nrafoundation.org! Learn more about Friends of NRA in New Mexcico at www.friendsofnra.org/NM.


South Central REGIONAL UPDATE

Futures

$20,000granted over the

which helped buy

for the newprecision team.

Anschutz 8001s

THREENEW

past six years,

The new PVHS precision air rifle team.


REGIONAL UPDATE Western

By Todd Kesner4-H Western Heritage Project Program Creator and Montana 4-H Center for Youth Development Interim Director

Learning Frontier HistoryONE SHOT AT A TIME

The romance of the frontier west still lives in the hearts of many Americans. One up and coming 4-H Shooting Sports program plays on this nostalgia of the Old West to inspire in young people an interest in frontier history.

The dinging sounds of bullets hitting steel targets fill the air as a 4-H member dressed in period clothing works her way through an Old West façade. Welcome to the 4-H Western

Heritage Project, a comprehensive study of the Old West combined with the fastest growing shooting sports discipline in the world—western action shooting. The project aims to provide an avenue for 4-H members and adult leaders to experience the lifestyles and cultures of the 1860 to 1900 period Old West while instilling the concepts of gun safety and personal responsibility.

The project started as a way to retain older 4-H members in shooting sports beyond the BB gun and air rifle years. After training a few adult volunteers and several 4-H members to safely participate in Western Action Shooting, it became apparent that the project had tremendous potential. It is an advanced and action oriented discipline that quickly evolved into an effective approach to teach-ing American frontier history. Members dress in Old West cloth-ing, shoot replica firearms of the frontier period, and expand their knowledge of U.S. history through a living history approach.

Hands-on activities transformed the 4-H Western Heritage Proj-ect from a 4-H shooting sports program where youth learn a little history to a 4-H history program where kids get to shoot. Pilot research studies conducted by Montana State University Extension indicate an increase among participants in both interest in American history and feeling a relevant connection to the past.

What began with five teenagers in Montana in 2008 has expanded to Missouri, Texas, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Alabama and Idaho. This growth and enthusiasm prompted the inaugural

4-H Western Heritage Conference and Invitational Shoot held July 30-August 2, 2014, in Virginia City, Mont. Over 150 4-H mem-bers, parents, faculty and volunteer instructors from Montana, Mis-souri, Oregon, Alabama, Vermont and California attended two and a half days of historical workshops and tours as well as the national championship shoot which capped off the week.

Thanks to generous and enthusiastic support from the Montana Friends of NRA and The NRA Foundation, 52 shooters had the tar-gets, ammunition and range props needed to compete for a national championship. To win the national championship, 4-H members had to not only shoot well, but also exhibit their historical knowl-edge on an Old West history exam as well as score highly on an interview with a period clothing judge. All three facets factored into a final score for each competitor.

When teens are told they have to learn history, some groan with anticipated boredom. Surveys have indicated that once 4-H mem-bers start living the history through authentic clothing and firearms, they begin studying historical areas of personal interest on their own. Many search for and purchase supplementary books, and a few have completed school projects using knowledge gained through their exposure to western heritage. This self-directed learning among the youth membership of the 4-H Western Heritage Project indicates the program’s success in exciting young people about their past.

Have a shooting sports or scholarship program that needs support? Go to www.nrafoundation.org to apply for a grant! Learn more about the 4-H Western Heritage Project at www.4-hwesternheritageproject.org.


Western REGIONAL UPDATE

PHOTOS Courtesy 4-H Western Heritage Project. Clockwise from bottom: A young Montana 4-Her steadies her 22 rifle under the watchful eye of the range officer; JJ Stark of Eureka, Mont., wins the National 4-H Western Heritage Championship in the Central-Fire Division; A young cowboy places his shotgun ammo; Todd Kesner, project designer, at the championship shoot; A group of Montana 4-Hers dress for a day of historical education.


THEWOLF PACK

DYNAMIC

A pack of wolves is a formidable force. It dominates in the wilderness with a combination of strength, patience and strategy. Yet the key element to a pack’s fortitude is its emphasis on teamwork. All individual members look

out for one another while utilizing resources from the entirety of the group to reinforce the pack as a whole. This dynamic, which makes wolf packs unstoppable, is reflected in the collegiate rifle team that takes its name from these powerful animals: the Univer-sity of Nevada Wolf Pack Rifle Team.

The Wolf Pack Rifle Team has roots on the University of Nevada campus dating as far back as 1898. However, the inception of the NCAA team came in 1995 when former-ROTC director Lt. Col. (Ret.) Frederick Harvey expanded the rifle program ingrained in

the ROTC program. “One of our goals in ROTC was to tie our-selves closely to the University,” explains Harvey. “We thought we could do that as an NCAA rifle team; as a Title IX outreach, a rifle team was perfect for this.” Harvey retired as ROTC director, but he has stayed on as head coach of the rifle team for the duration of the program.

The Pack has thrived in the past decade and predicts a successful upcoming season led by alpha-dog Team Captain Gretta Ochsner. The team ranked No. 17 in the September preseason Collegiate Ri-fle Coaches Association poll, but it jumped six spots to No. 11 by the poll taken at the end of October. Currently it is ranked at No. 13, but Harvey believes the team is capable of cracking the top ten and shooting in the national championships in mid-March. “We’re

By Catherine BarsantiEvent Support Coordinator, National Rifle Association


Southwest REGIONAL UPDATE

shooting better scores; every week we attempt to go out and shoot a better score than we ever have before,” says Harvey. “We would like to go to the national championships, and we will.”

Harvey credits part of the team’s success to The NRA Founda-tion funding awarded to the program earlier in 2014. “It’s had a huge impact on our team,” remarks Harvey. The grant provided the Wolf Pack with $11,500 of equipment and ammunition that has allowed the team to more than double the amount of shooting it was able to do. “There were kids who weren’t able to shoot before who now can; it’s a quantum leap. I couldn’t be happier or more grateful for The NRA Foundation’s help here,” Harvey continues. “It’s completely changed things. We’ve done more shooting this season than we have in the last five years combined, and that’s just

in half a season.”As the Wolf Pack’s legacy grows, Harvey has had to turn down

several students who want to join the pack due to a lack of space. Believing in the significant, positive impact programs like his rifle team can have on students, Harvey has high hopes for general growth in shooting sports nationwide. “If I could only ask for one thing,” concludes Harvey, “it would be more college teams out there so these kids can find a place to shoot. I know it has made a huge difference for me and my team.”

Apply for a grant at www.nrafoundation.org! To learn more about the Nevada Friends of NRA events that raise money for programs like this one, go to www.friendsofnra.org/NV.

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Team members on the Wolf Pack Rifle rangeThe University of Nevada Wolf Pack Rifle Team


By Callie DavisAssistant Director of Advancement Communications, National Rifle Association

One of NRA’s five primary objectives

is to promote hunter safety and to promote and defend hunting as a shooting sport and as a viable and necessary method of fostering the

propagation, growth, conservation, and

wise use of our renewable wildlife

resources.

NRA’s New Hunters’ Leadership Forum

Communicating with America’s 21 Million Licensed Hunters

Hunters’ Leadership Forum President’s Founders Club member Robert Unkovic is an avid upland game hunter

Robert Unkovic keeps his eye on the future. President of a Pennsylva-nia investment management company, Unkovic has spent his adult life making critical decisions based on what lies ahead – and apparently he’s pretty good at it. His inclination for forward thinking drives even his

interests and community involvement. Unkovic is a board member for several technology companies, a former trustee

for the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, co-chairman of the Duquesne Club Rod & Gun Society, and co-founder and chairman of the Old Joe Club, a not-for-profit organization that raises funds to support disadvantaged youth, education and conservancy issues.

Knowing Unkovic’s propensity for building a strong future and his enthusiasm for upland game hunting makes it no surprise that he took an immediate interest in NRA’s recently launched Hunters’ Leadership Forum (HLF). He was one of the first to join the HLF President’s Founders Club, the leadership nucleus of the Forum, and he co-chaired the inaugural Hunters’ Leadership Luncheon held in conjunction with the 2014 NRA Annual Meetings in Indianapolis, Ind.

“We are at a seminal moment in history for many of our freedoms,” said Un-kovic, “and we have to act now on our decision to protect not only the future of the Second Amendment, but also the future of hunting, or it will be too late.” He worries about the rights of his children and the generations that follow. So what should be done about it? “We make ourselves heard,” Unkovic said.

The NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum aims to do just that: be heard. The NRA has always stood for hunters, and, since its start in 1990, The NRA Foundation has provided essential grant funding to support programs promoting hunting education, wildlife management, conservation and the development of hunter education materials and skills training.

The nation’s leading shooting sports charity, The NRA Foundation awarded 2,350 grants totaling more than $11 million to support hunter and related ed-ucational programs in 2013 alone. That is no small sum, but it is no match for the opposition. That is why the Hunters’ Leadership Fund was established. As a permanent endowment, the Hunters’ Leadership Fund will provide an annual funding source to perpetually promote and defend hunting, paving the way to enhance and grow NRA’s hunting programs and activities.

A long time supporter of The NRA Foundation, Unkovic sees membership in the HLF President’s Founders Club as another good investment towards pro-tecting the sport he loves. “Rob has really stepped into a leadership role for the Hunters’ Leadership Forum.” stated James W. Porter, II, NRA President and NRA Foundation Trustee. “He is an uncompromising leader in protecting and defending our rights as hunters, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish together.”

As a young teenager Unkovic was introduced to shooting and hunting by his Uncle Dan, and the rest is history. His wife, Georgia, joined the shooting game early on in their courtship, and now, three children later, it is a family affair.

The fight to protect, promote and defend hunting is ongoing but not insur-mountable. Giving future generations a more robust, lively and vibrant hunting and conservation culture than has ever existed before is possible. It is time to take a lesson from Rob Unkovic: work now to protect our future.

Hunters are encouraged to become a vital part of this leadership team. For more infor-mation on how to join the Hunters’ Leadership Forum, please contact Chris DeWitt, NRA Ring of Freedom Manager at [email protected] or (703) 267-1128.


Program Profile NATIONAL NEWS

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE HUNTERS’

LEADERSHIP FORUM?

WHAT IS THE HUNTERS’ LEADERSHIP

FORUM PRESIDENT’S FOUNDERS CLUB?

The President’s Founders Club of the Forum is a group limited to 100 distinguished leaders ded-icated to the future of hunting in America and the world. The Founders Club members form

the leadership nucleus for carry-ing out the Forum’s mission: to promote and defend hunting.

The Hunters’ Leadership Forum is dedicated to the enrichment

and growth of the NRA’s mission to promote and defend hunting. The Forum’s constituency brings together dedicated hunters who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their professions

and in the field.


NATIONAL NEWS Industry Corner

By Christina Paladeau Event Marketing and Communications Coordinator, National Rifle Association

Friends of NRA’s countrywide network dedicated to fundraising for the shoot-ing sports relies on the support of not

only the Field Representatives, volunteers, attendees and donors who contribute to the local events, but also a group of generous and enthusiastic corporate sponsors. In 2015 that group includes both new and continuing in-dustry sponsors who will help Friends of NRA to continue achieving greater success and reaching more shooting sports enthusiasts.

The highest level of industry support for Friends of NRA is the National Corporate Sponsor Program’s exclusive Guardian level. The Friends program is excited to have Daniel Defense in this role for the second year in a row. “Marty Daniel and his wife are very passionate about supporting shooting programs focused on educa-tion and training for youth and women in particular,” says NRA General Operations Director of Industry Partnerships John da Sil-va. That passion perfectly connects with The NRA Foundation’s goals to support educational programs that ensure the continuation of America’s proud shooting and hunting heritage for generations to come.

After starting a relationship with Friends of NRA in 2013 by sup-plying rifles through the Vendor Direct program, Daniel Defense increased their support in 2014 as National Corporate Sponsor. Daniel Defense Director of Marketing Jordan Hunter explains, “NRA does such a great job supporting our industry and our plat-form, so we want to do anything and everything we can to support it. We’re always looking for creative ways to do that, and Friends of NRA has been really great about providing those opportunities.” Daniel Defense’s commitment to supporting Second Amendment freedoms extends beyond the Friends program as well; it has signed on for a two-year agreement as the presenting sponsor of NRA’s new AR Challenge and AR Matches.

GASTON J. GLOCK style LP began its relationship with Friends of NRA in 2012 as a statewide underwriter in Georgia, home of its U.S. headquarters. Last year the manufacturer of shooting sports lifestyle gear and accessories widened its reach by becoming a Na-tional Corporate Sponsor, and GASTON continues that support in 2015. “By supporting Friends of NRA we can reach a large audience of strong shooting and hunting enthusiasts and a lot of young peo-ple,” says CEO of GASTON J. GLOCK style USA Beate Arnold. “NRA’s traditions and goals are enduring principles. It has worked hard for that stability and success, and NRA supporters contribute to the organization to continue that legacy. We do the same with our products and our philosophy to protect our environment.”

Arnold highlights GASTON’s and Friends of NRA’s shared inter-est in preserving the shooting sports lifestyle, a goal which focuses on preserving quality of life and traditions. In addition to its 2015 sponsorship, GASTON will donate Coolmax® shooting shirts with the NRA Logo and ‘Wall of Guns’ text to the NRA Foundation events at the 2015 Great American Outdoor Show and NRA An-nual Meeting.

Donations to The NRA Foundation Banquet at the 2014 NRA Annual Meeting kicked off Henry Repeating Arms’ involvement with the NRA Foundation side of NRA operations. As a 2015 spon-sor of Friends of NRA it will donate more than $50,000 in monetary support and firearms to the program. Henry will also sponsor the Wall of Guns and NRA Foundation Banquets at both the 2015 Great American Outdoor Show and NRA Annual Meeting. Along with its contributions to other NRA programs like Women’s Wil-derness Escape, youth programs and more, Henry is the continuing title sponsor of NRA Gun Gurus TV for the second year in 2015.

“My family has been in the firearms business for over 100 years,” says Anthony Imperato, president of Henry Repeating Arms. “For those ten plus decades, the NRA has been there for us: defending our Second Amendment rights, upholding our traditions of hunt-ing and the shooting sports, and tirelessly promoting firearms safe-ty. For that we are eternally grateful and choose to support the NRA to the best of our ability.”

O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., is also new as a National Corporate

Sponsor for Friends of NRA. Although it has long supported the NRA with donations to national events, sponsorships of television shows and more, Mossberg sought to have more involvement with The NRA Foundation. As a Defender level sponsor and a sponsor of multiple games at the NRA Foundation Banquets in 2015, it will achieve that.

“Since 1919 Mossberg has been a family-owned, American company with deep manufacturing roots,” explains CEO Iver Mossberg. “The Friends of NRA program hits home for us due to the family friendly environment with one common goal: fundraising for the shooting sports. With the understanding that future generations’ enjoyment of the shooting sports depends on how we share those traditions, support-ing the dedicated Friends of NRA volunteers and programs by becoming a corporate sponsor is consistent with our values.”

Numzaan Safaris, a newcomer to the national level of NRA Foundation grassroots fundraising efforts, has also already proven to be a valuable partner in supporting the shooting sports, having supported Friends of NRA fundraising on the local level for several years. Booking Agents Ed and Linda Stevens have been involved with the Numzaan outfitter for over a decade, and this year they wanted to do something big to reach a national scale. As a result, Numzaan Safaris will be a Defender level sponsor of the program in 2015 and 2016, donating 25 hunts per year to be used at local events across the country as well as at the National NRA Foundation Banquet at NRA Annual Meeting. “We are delighted to receive their contribution and support, and we look forward to having their hunts at our banquets nationwide in 2015,” says da Silva.

“Numzaan Safaris is proud to be a National Corporate Sponsor of Friends of NRA for the next two years and to offer our full support in achieving its goals,” shares Ed Stevens. “This opportunity to advance to the next level of an official sponsorship is tremendously exciting and a privilege. It’s no secret that hunting rights require gun rights, and we will always need more young people involved in the shooting sports to secure those rights. Fundraising is an avenue to safeguarding the shooting sports for generations to come, and Numzaan Safaris is honored to support Friends of NRA in those efforts.”

Another new member of Friends of NRA’s National Corporate Sponsor program is SecureIt Tactical, Inc. The company donated 300 Falcon FAST Box gun safes, valued at $100,000, to The NRA Foundation and NRA’s Law Enforcement Division competi-tions. Those Falcon FAST Boxes will be available at select Friends of NRA banquets in 2015, generating funds to support local and national shooting sports programs and bringing the SecureIt weapons storage platform to consumers throughout the U.S.

“Why are we supporting Friends of NRA and The NRA Foundation?” Owner and President Tom Kubiniec asks. “It’s about goals. Friends of NRA’s goal is broader than ours, but this whole company comprises hunters, former military, first responders, and we all live and breathe this stuff. It’s an easy decision for us.”

Friends of NRA also receives support from other programs within the NRA. This year NRA Outdoors Hunting & Fishing Destinations, which provides hunting and fishing guide services personalized to each client by using strong relationships devel-oped with outfitters, is a Protector level sponsor of the Friends program.

Corporate Sponsors directly impact millions of firearm and outdoor enthusiasts through their relationships with Friends of NRA, and their contributions of money, services and auction items to the program help it to raise millions of dollars for the future of the shooting sports. These sponsorships provide invaluable support to Friends of NRA’s protection of America’s shooting sports traditions and Second Amendment freedoms.

Interested in becoming a Friends of NRA National Corporate Sponsor? Visit friendsofnra.org/corporate-sponsors.aspx or contact Director of Industry Partnerships John da Silva at [email protected] or 703-267-1356.


Industry Corner NATIONAL NEWS

Mr. John Wistuba MarylandDr. James P. Wallace, III FloridaMr. John D. Pearson MichiganMr. Joseph A. Concannon TexasMr. Mark D. Ryan TexasMr. Donald L. Fetterolf PennsylvaniaMr. Jason D. Edwards LouisianaMr. Anthony P. Bucciero Pennsylvania

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur H. Lamb, Jr. MassachusettsWildlife Heritage Foundation of Texas TexasMr. Charles M. Vosburg DelawareMrs. Janet D. Nyce PennsylvaniaDavid F. and Margaret T. Grohne Family Foundation IllinoisMr. and Mrs. William Hayes California

Natchez Shooters Supply TennesseeCheaper Than Dirt TexasMr. Loren E. Parks OregonMzuri Wildlife Foundation CaliforniaA.P. Kirby, Jr. Foundation New JerseyIndependence Tube Corp. IllinoisDallas Safari Club TexasAmerican Conservation & Education Society TexasMrs. Anne T. Draper ColoradoAnonymous Iowa

Dillon Precision Products Corp., Inc. ArizonaPaul R. & Anna Lee White Family Charitable Trust ColoradoMs. Loren C. Rice TexasLaser Shot, Inc. TexasGabriel Family Foundation & Natural History Museum CaliforniaCampfire Conservation Fund, Inc. New York

Mr. Leo H. Cecil, Sr. New YorkMr. Robert M. Serrano New YorkOhio Gun Collectors Association OhioGraf & Sons, Inc. MissouriMr. Paul Kurtz WisconsinMrs. Betty S. Mayes-Petty KansasMr. A. Ray Copeland, CPA OklahomaNumrich Gun Parts Corporation New YorkMr. Glen R. Podhola MichiganMr. and Mrs. Walter Powell PennsylvaniaJ & G Sales, Ltd. ArizonaMr. Lawrence Borland PennsylvaniaWallace N. Weber, COL, US Army (Ret.) KansasMr and Mrs Thomas J. Strempfer ConnecticutMr. Regis J. Synan PennsylvaniaMr. and Mrs. Todd M. Kacin, Sr. PennsylvaniaMr. Joe H. Graham VirginiaMr. and Mrs. Frederic O. Vicik WashingtonPeil Charitable Trust GeorgiaThe Outdoor Heritage Foundation of Alaska AlaskaDr. Jean P. Orr Indiana

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Hill GeorgiaMs. Audrey H. Murtland MichiganMr. Christopher A. Grillo New York

Mr. and Mrs. Craig Gallagher CaliforniaMr. Edward S. Martin PennsylvaniaChallenge Targets, LLC KentuckyMr. and Mrs. Frank W. Ghilarducci ColoradoMr. Brian W. Clements PennsylvaniaMr. Samuel V. Washburn MassachusettsMr. and Mrs. Steve Weninger North DakotaMr. James L. Wattenbarger CaliforniaMr. Kevin Gately New JerseyRuger Owners & Collectors Society, Inc. AlabamaMr. William J. Proefrock New YorkMr. and Mrs. Norman E. Nabhan TexasMs. Marjorie Joy CaliforniaOwen Waske & Lynn Gampe Fund OhioMr. and Mrs. Vernon Gilbert TexasMr. Joseph G. Breton TexasMrs. Margaret L. Anderson WisconsinAnonymous ColoradoContinental Army US FloridaAnonymous ArizonaAmmo.net GeorgiaMrs. Elizabeth Cunningham PennsylvaniaMr. Jason S. Hastings WashingtonMr. David B. Murtaugh South CarolinaGalco International Arizona

GIFTS OF $5K-$25K

GIFTS OF $100K+

GIFTS OF $1K-$5K

GIFTS OF $250-$1K

GIFTS OF $25K-$100K


NRA Foundation Donors

Mr. Dennis Stepanovich MichiganMr. Thomas J. Morris, III New JerseyMr. Daniel O. Maldonado TexasMr. and Mrs. James S. Ferguson OhioMr. Randolph C. Cook CaliforniaMr. Charles B. Coffman CaliforniaMr. Robert L. Silva CaliforniaDr. Michael I. Abraham PennsylvaniaMr. William H. Grimes ArizonaThe von Gontard Family Foundation MissouriMr. Jason F. Swim IowaMr. William R. Slavin OregonMr. Frederick J. Ritter, III PennsylvaniaMr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Dehon, Jr. North CarolinaMr. John C. Abshier Kansas

Mr. John Phillips VirginiaMr. Leo H. Cecil, Sr. New YorkMs. Doris Thompson OklahomaMr. Matthew L. Sisson North CarolinaMr. Joseph Colbert TexasMr. William T. Gennetti, Jr. VirginiaMr. Mitchell G. Minnaert FloridaMs. Cristiana Thillmann Collins WashingtonMr. Darrel White VirginiaMr. Oscar R. Jordan MississippiMr. James S. Burton VirginiaMr. and Mrs. Larry A. Bucklinger Kansas

Ray Eugene Amos Findlay Machine & Tool Inc.Glenn J. Anderson Mrs. Margaret L. AndersonMatthew Alan Braun Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Adamson Ms. Janice RamirezRay Conner Mr. Robert MaholicRobert J. Crimmel Mr. and Mrs. Scott J. StrohmEdward Souders Home Instead Senior CareTerry W. Fisher Mr. Casey B. CrabillDavid F. Gilbert Mrs. Diana Fitch Mrs. Michele GilbertJohn Lee Graham Ms. Phillis Banducci Mr. William Banducci Ms. Denise L. Curtis Ms. Leslie A. SteffenWilliam H. (Suggie) Grahmann Mr. and Mrs. Glenn R. Dobbs Mr. Kelly W. GrahmannGary Kidwell Mr. James M. FurnasFred Martin, Jr. Telescope Casual Furniture, Inc.Ronald D. Mayer DonaticThomas Nash Thomas and BeckySue YackleyGeorge N. Newkirk M. Scher & Son, Inc.Laverna Ostergaard Ms. Joyce JohnsonGeorge T. Perkins Ms. Nancy S. IrishThomas G. Phistry, Jr. Tom and BeckySue YackleyWalter Connally Powell, Jr. National Philanthropic TrustDorothy Quick Mrs. Helen F. MalloyArt Richardson Mr. John P. MichellEugene Siemek Mr. and Mrs. John W. Adlington Ms. Karen M. LingleClark Eckert Weninger Mrs. Linda D. Schnell Mr. and Mrs. Steve WeningerEdward S. Woodoth Ms. Ada A. Fennell

Estate of William Yannaccone WyomingEstate of William L. Costello IowaEstate of Thomas R. Jackson MichiganEstate of Raymond Ocon CaliforniaEstate of Nicholas H. and Theresa Carlin FloridaEstate of Michael J. Moore CaliforniaEstate of Lloyd Hubbard AlaskaEstate of James R. Riley MissouriEstate of Edward H. Souders ArizonaEstate of Delbert Lee Streid FloridaEstate of D. Lee & Dorothy H. Backenstose PennsylvaniaEstate of Alton J. and Helen B. Coppridge North Carolina

ESTATESIN MEMORY OF GIFTS


August - October

IN KIND GIFTS

Listed contributions do not necessarily reflect total giving for the year.

We make every effort to ensure accuracy of donor names.

If you notice any errors or omissions, please contact us at 800-423-6894 or [email protected].

THE NRA FOUNDATION11250 WAPLES MILL ROADFAIRFAX, VA 22030

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GREAT AMERICAN PREVIEW TRAINING FOR TEAMWORK at … · Year is a custom Kimber Pro Carry II 1911 pistol featuring engraving, gold plating, and Crimson Trace lasergrips. QUARTER 4