16th Annual
FNRA Banquet

Conceived in 1992 by Larry Potterfield of MidwayUSA, the very first Friends of NRA event was held in Columbia, Missouri. Friends of NRA is an exciting, grassroots, fund-raising program that fosters community involvement, raises money and gives 100% of the net proceeds to qualified local, state and national shooting and educational programs.

Since its inception in 1993, Friends of NRA has held more than 8,250 events attended by 1,500,000 supporters. These events have raised over $92 million to support such programs as hunter education, wildlife conservation, shooting range development and improvement, and youth safety and education.

The Mid-Missouri FNRA committee is proud to announce that the 2006 FNRA Banquet raised almost $47,000. This brings our total raised since inception to roughly $467,000.

What can I expect at a Friends of NRA Event? At each event, participants have an opportunity to bid on a variety of merchandise, including firearms, artwork and outdoor gear. The format is simple... food, fun, family and fund-raising. Whether you are a hunter, competitive shooter or just a proud gun owner, Friends of NRA events have something of interest for the entire family. Events include dinner followed by exciting auctions and special drawings for unique and collectible merchandise. Attendees bid on items from the standard Friends of NRA merchandise package, as well as special products and services donated to specific events by local businesses and community members. Friends of NRA merchandise includes very desirable limited edition firearms, wildlife art from popular artists, jewelry, and shooting sports, hunting and outdoor equipment. Events offer every participant an opportunity to take home valuable merchandise and enjoyable memories.

How are event funds distributed? All net proceeds benefit The NRA Foundation, with half allocated to fund projects within the state where the money was raised. The NRA Foundation uses the other half to fund similar projects with a national scope. Friends of NRA committee volunteers are appointed to a State Fund Committee and make recommendations for local grant funding. Recognizing that America's young people represent the future of the shooting sports, State Fund Committee grants frequently target youth programs, allocating more than 50% of grant monies to this important area.

To date, The NRA Foundation has funded more than 14,171 state grants and 113 national grants. These grants support programs including, but not limited to:

• Youth firearms safety and education programs
• Hunter education
• Range development and improvement
• Support materials for training classes
• Women's safety classes
• Wildlife conservation effort