Full house at Friends of NRA Banquet

The Friends of NRA is the fundraising wing of the National Rifle Association. According to the group's website, they are a "100 percent grassroots effort" to support the second amendment to raise funds and awareness for shooting sports. Since the group's inception, they have raised about $815,000,000, and awarded 3,000 grants across the country. Wrangell hosted the Friends of the NRA last Saturday at the Nolan Center, where the organization held a fundraiser banquet.

Greg Stephens was the master of ceremonies for the evening. This was the second year the Friends of the NRA held a banquet in Wrangell, and he said he was impressed with the turnout. Last year's banquet sold out with roughly 150 attendees, and he said they sold out again this year. Banquet attendees also had the opportunity to enter raffles for various firearms and other items, and to participate in a live auction.

"The money goes to the NRA Foundation, which is 100 percent non-political. We have absolutely nothing to do with any of the politics," Stephens said. "Half of the money stays in the state of Alaska, and we give it out in the form of grants every year. The other half goes to the national foundation, which is given out in grants. 100 percent of all net proceeds get donated back to the mission."

Stephens explained that because they've hosted a banquet, Wrangell will get to have a voice in where the money raised goes. A delegate from the town gets to vote in the state fund meeting in Anchorage, and to help determine which grants will receive funds. He added that there was a grant in the works for shooting range improvements in Wrangell.

"Last year we gave away over $600,000, and this year I expect we'll do the same thing," he said.

To learn more about the Friends of NRA, visit their website at http://www.friendsofnra.org.