Henry Repeating Arms recently announced that it will donate 65 custom rifles to raise funds for the family of 11-year-old Sami Bernadzikowski of Elkridge, Md., who has undergone five open-heart surgeries to date with at least one more to come.
On top of the five open-heart surgeries, Bernadzikowski has also had over 30 cardiac catheterization procedures. In addition to being diagnosed with a rare condition called heterotaxy syndrome, where the organs are formed abnormally, she has also been diagnosed with several other heart defects, which require multiple visits to Boston through the year.
“I have yet to see a photo of Sami where she didn’t have a huge smile on her face, which is incredible once you learn what she’s going through,” says Anthony Imperato, CEO, and Founder of Henry Repeating Arms. “I would like to give a big hug to Sami and her family, and I look forward to seeing how fast these rifles sell out thanks to the generosity of the Henry family.”
The “Support 4 Sami” rifles feature an engraved and hand-printed design that incorporates Sami’s whimsical, curious and adventurous spirit within each letter of her name. Built on Henry’s Golden Boy Silver platform, the rifles are chambered in .22 S/L/LR and feature a nickel-plated receiver cover, genuine American walnut stocks, and a deeply blued steel octagon barrel. Each rifle in the series bears a unique serial number ranging from “01OF65SAMI” through “65OF65SAMI.” Baron Engraving of Trumbull, Conn., donated the artwork and embellishments on the buttstocks.
Over the past two years, Henry Repeating Arms’ Guns For Great Causes has raised more than $200,000 for five families, with all rifles selling out within a matter of hours after the initial announcement. This campaign is expected to raise over $45,000, all of which will be presented to Bernadzikowski’s family to assist with medical expenses.
To learn more about this campaign, and other Guns For Great Causes campaigns, click here. The auction for serial number “01OF65SAMI” is available on gunbroker.com, item #913742436. The last rifle in the series, “65OF65SAMI,” is also up for auction, item #913742797. Both auctions close on Nov. 4.
