As we wrap up another year, I want to wish all of my fellow NRA members a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and a holiday season spent with loved ones filled with happiness and joy.
I also have a special request—this year, please consider the gift of NRA membership for your family and friends who aren’t yet members. Membership is not only a great gift they will be thrilled to receive, but also will help support a plethora of NRA’s vital programs, such as firearms training, the Refuse to be a Victim and Eddie Eagle GunSafe programs, competitive shooting and more.
In addition, the gift of NRA membership provides the resources to support worthwhile grant programs and development projects. For example, the NRA in September presented a check worth more than $173,000 to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, due to the state’s prolific use of the NRA’s award-winning, free online Hunter Education Course. Another example: After the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission adopted our free alternative for hunter education, the state received more than $120,000 from NRA to capitalize on an opportunity to apply for federal Pittman-Robertson grants and additional funds.
NRA support, from the generosity of NRA members, has also gone a long way to ensure current and future gun owners have a range accessible to them where they can learn, train and compete. In 2022 alone, the NRA and the NRA Foundation provided more than a million dollars in range improvement and construction grants for public and private ranges across America. To be blunt—no other membership organization provides the support for ranges like the NRA and its dedicated members.
Additionally, the NRA Foundation in August approved a $252,000 grant to USA Shooting to help our Olympic shotgun athletes. These talented International trap and skeet athletes require a certain shotshell load for training in preparation for the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. The money, to be used exclusively for the purchase of ammunition, will help USA Shooting source this difficult-to-find load.
Besides providing the necessary funding for a wide variety of NRA programs, an NRA membership includes a subscription to one of four award-winning Official Journals. For their subscription, members can choose from our flagship American Rifleman, which has been the leading authority on firearms and ammunition for more than a century, or American Hunter, Shooting Illustrated or America’s 1st Freedom magazines.
And perhaps most importantly, the gift of membership will aid the NRA in defending our Second Amendment freedoms as they come under fire. The attacks on our rights in recent months have been on an uptick—your assistance through membership is more important than ever before. As I mentioned in a previous column, we need elected officials in local, state and federal office who respect our constitutional freedoms if we as Americans want to continue to hunt, train, compete and collect firearms.
As NRA members, we believe in the Constitution and the staunch defense of the right to bear arms. It is my firm belief that NRA members are this country’s finest citizens. Thank you for your continued support, and be sure to let us know how the NRA can be of service to you. And help us expand our ranks with friends, family members and co-workers who cherish our Second Amendment rights. Visit membership.nra.org today to purchase the gift of freedom. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.
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