NRA Foundation Banquet brings thrills to thousands in Houston

Houston, Texas - On the first night of the NRA Convention in Houston, a few NRA members got together for a meal. Correction ... a few thousand NRA Members got together for a meal. A meal and an auction. The National NRA Foundation Banquet.

A tough ticket no matter what the political environment, the NRA Foundation Banquet serves two primary purposes; a welcome and a fundraising. Winning a few games, guns and auctions is just the icing on the cake.

More on the NRA Foundation Banquet at the 2013 Annual Meeting ...

Contribution to Shooting Endowment brings down prices and improves conditions

Fairfax, Virginia - NRA's Competitive Shooting & National Championships Endowment was established back in 2007 by then NRA President John Sigler. Once fully funded, the endowment will allow the National Rifle Association to do a number of things including lower entry fees, improving facilities and adding to the prize table.

How important is it? Important enough that NRA employees have been making contributions since day one.

"I believe in this program and write a check to the endowment every year," said NRA Competitive Shooting Director Dennis Willing. "And I started doing that before I started working here."

More on NRA's Competitive Shooting Sports Endowment ...

NRA Foundation Banquet auction item on display in NRA Annual Meeting exhibit hall

Houston, Texas - The exhibit hall at this year's NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits opened bright and early today in downtown Houston, but not for attendees. More than 550 exhibitors are frantically building their booths in anticipation of this weekend's record crowds.

Aisles that will be packed shoulder-to-shoulder with NRA fans over the next couple days are currently strewn with giant wooden shipping boxes and beeping forklifts. But while the whole thing won't come together until later in the afternoon, some things are all set up and look great.

More on the custom NRA-themed airboat...

Diamondback airboat available in NRA Foundation live auction in Houston

Fairfax, Virginia - The National NRA Foundation Banquet and Auction at this year's NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston will be chock full of special, collectible NRA items that you can bid on. One of the most exciting pieces of this year's live auction is a custom airboat by Diamondback Airboats.

Want to fish, hunt or joyride through shallow waters while showing off your support for the NRA? This is the item for you. A one-of-a-kind airboat, it was made especially for the May 2nd National NRA Foundation Banquet and Auction.

More on the custom NRA airboat at Annual Meeting...

Pennsylvanians, raise money for the shooting sports while showing off your NRA pride

Fairfax, Virginia - Thanks to the cooperation of Friends of NRA committees throughout the state of Pennsylvania, PennDOT now offers NRA-specialized license plates. The Keystone State joins a growing list of states where you have one more great way to show off your support for the NRA.

More on the Pennsylvania NRA license plate...

Retired military man from 'out west' donates $10,000 to the NRA

New guns, new optics, new outdoor grills and HD video thrills around each and every corner. While new products and endless possibilities were enough to nourish most, it was a simple act of unbridled selflessness that made a significant impression upon members of our Second Amendment institution.

More on a special donation to the NRA at the 2013 SHOT Show ...

Funds raised at Friends of NRA events help hunting programs in every state

NRA Foundation grants help a variety of programs across the nation. In addition to competitive shooting teams, money raised at Friends of NRA events also goes to preserving our hunting legacy. Here's a thank you from the San Diego Junior Pheasant Hunt who was helped to its feet by one such grant a few years back.

San Diego Junior Pheasant Hunt Thanks The NRA Foundation
by Douglas Streed & Susan Bowers

As the San Diego Junior Pheasant Hunt finishes its ninth year, we pause to reflect how we have grown and who has helped us along the way. The first big boost came in

More on the NRA Foundation's grants...

NRA Foundation, Browning and Baron team up to offer rare auction

Listen up you gun collectors.

A one-of-a-kind shotgun is now up for auction at GunBroker.com.

Thanks to an astounding partnership between Baron Technology, long gun manufacturer Browning Arms Co., and our very own NRA Foundation, this unique beauty could soon be yours.

What makes the gun so unique? To start, this NRA Edition Browning Citori Gran Lightning XS, serial number 05211MT131, comes with 12GA, 20GA, 28GA and 410GA jeweled 28" barrels.

Built on a 12GA frame, the shotgun includes an exquisitely engraved Watts nickel-plated receiver featuring 24K gold plating for an antiquated appearance. A duck cameo is depicted on the left side while the right sports a dog/hunter/quail cameo. The receiver's belly features the NRA logo and “One of One." Scrollwork with selective gold-plating and antiquing enhance the forend iron.

More on our one of a kind NRA Browning Citori Shotgun ...

The Youth Education Summit looks forward to big things from this year's crop of attendees. Already a number of the students have been busy getting featured in local papers for their unique opportunity to attend the summit.

Josh Simon, from Sarasota, Florida, was featured in his high school newspaper, the Out-of-Door Academy's The Bolt. Stumbling across the program in an NRA magazine, Josh's interest in both shooting and politics led him to apply for the summit. The video he made as his "personal statement" portion of the Y.E.S. application can be seen above. 

More