NRA Foundation to Grant $50,000 to Pennsylvania Youth Organizations

Fairfax, Va. - The NRA Foundation is pleased to announce that five grants totaling $50,000 will be awarded to five Pennsylvania organizations that encourage youth participation in the shooting sports through educational activities.

"The National Rifle Association has long enjoyed a special relationship with the people of Harrisburg and surrounding areas, and we’re proud to continue supporting that relationship through NRA Foundation grants,” said Joe DeBergalis, Executive Director of NRA General Operations. “This year’s awards provide much needed funds to ensure future generations of competitive shooters learn the fundamentals of safe and responsible firearm ownership."

These grants are made possible through NRA Foundation fundraising efforts at NRA’s annual Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, PA, and continue its tradition of supporting educational and recreational youth programs across the country. Since the NRA started the Great American Outdoor Show seven years ago, nearly $300,000 in grants have been awarded by The NRA Foundation to central Pennsylvania youth groups, law enforcement, and other eligible organizations.

The Juniata County School District will receive a grant to establish a permanent indoor practice range and competition range for the air rifle team. The JCSD Precision Air Rifle team educates high school students in the safe handling and use of firearms in a fun and educational atmosphere.

The Williams Valley Trap Team is a high school trap team that participates in state and national competitions. They will be receiving a quantity of 12 GA shotgun shells to assist in relieving expenses for the students to participate in the program.

The Dallastown High School trains nearly 200 new shooters each year through marksmanship camps and in-school training. They also compete in local and national competitions across the country. This grant will provide much-needed scopes, stands, bipods and other items needed to maintain and expand the program.  

The Central York High School will receive a grant to support its Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) marksmanship program. This will allow the current program to grow, and reduce the amount of outdated resources that are borrowed from other schools. Funds will be used to purchase air rifle stands, mats, targets and other accessories.

The Alexandria Junior 4-H (c/o: Pennsylvania State University) will use the grant to purchase two new target rifles to replace outdated models. This will make it easier to start new shooters and also help the more experienced youth shooters. Related equipment will be purchased, including sights, gloves and shooting stands.

The success of the Great American Outdoor Show - the world’s largest consumer sports and outdoor show - and the tireless efforts of The NRA Foundation make these grants possible, empowering youth programs to continue providing invaluable education to local communities and enabling stewards of the outdoor sports lifestyle to continue making a difference in Pennsylvania while safeguarding and improving the future of time-honored outdoor traditions.

The nine-day Great American Outdoor Show returns to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg Feb. 1-9, 2020, featuring 650,000 sq. ft. of the best the outdoors has to offer. To purchase tickets to the show or browse the exciting list of events, seminars, exhibitors and more, visit the official website at www.greatamericanoutdoorshow.org or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GreatAmericanOutdoorShow, on Twitter at twitter.com/NRA_GAOS, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/nra_gaos.