Volunteer of the Week: Laura Watson

This week we recognize Chairman Laura Watson, volunteer of three years with the First Coast Friends of NRA.

Laura’s short time with the committee has been a whirlwind of fun and accomplishment. Just last year, she sold more than 100 banquet tickets bringing in over $10,000, raised $3,000 in pre and post-event raffles, and acquired multiple donations valued over $2,200.

“Laura runs her event like a business,” said NRA Field Representative Bret Eldridge. “She is always watching costs, but is careful to not sacrifice the quality of the event.”

Quality means everything to Laura. From visiting folks in the community to attending gun shows and other functions in the area, promoting the value and worth of the Friends program is essential to her.

Laura couldn’t do it alone. She works with a well-oiled team who appreciates and trusts her leadership. Since she’s taken the role of chairman, First Coast has seen extensive growth in consecutive years.



“Laura takes the job as chairman very seriously,” shared Eldridge. “She works on this event year round and is always looking for new committee members, sponsors, and event donors to come on board.”

Her focus isn’t set on her event alone. Laura’s adamant to making all Friends events successful as possible. Her number one goal - raise as much money as possible for The NRA Foundation.

This year, she helped establish a new committee where they were able to raise more money for deserving grant recipients. She also extended her services to helping local groups with their grant applications to ensure they were properly done.

Laura’s leadership and dedication to Friends of NRA is shared by the thousands of volunteers across the country. Click here to learn how you can get involved with your local Friends chapter today!