From the Friends of NRA Event Services Coordinator Nicole McMahon.
Over the weekend, 900 people attended the Grand Valley Friends of NRA banquet in Grand Junction, Colo., putting the committee at over $100K in net income in only their second year. The committee, which was featured in Traditions - Quarter 4: 2008, raised $65K with 700 attendees at their first banquet, a magnificent feat in itself. However, for a second year committee to raise over $100K, that is unbelievable. “It’s never happened before in terms of a second year committee,” said Nick Tsoucalas, Financial Manager in Field Operations.
Other committees this year that have raised over $100,000 are Corpus Christi from Robstown, Texas, Pennsylvania’s First from Irwin, Pa., Uintah Basin from Vernal, Utah, Paso Robles, Calif., and Longview, Texas. Almost all of these fundraising virtuosos have been in the business for a long time and have collectively raised over $5.5 million dollars for local and national youth and women’s programs, range development and improvement, and hundreds of other programs dedicated to the preservation of the shooting sports.
The Corpus Christi Friends of NRA, which made over $150K this year, has been on the scene since 1993 and has made over $100K in 1995, 2000, and 2006-2009. All together, the committee has raised over $1.5 million for South Texas, the most money any one committee has contributed in the history of the Friends of NRA.
Pennsylvania’s First Friends of NRA, which made about $140K this year, has also been on the scene since 1993. The committee has consistently netted over $100K since 2003 and went above and beyond in 2005 when they raised over $200K. They are one of only two committees to raise over $200K at a banquet. Both Corpus Christi and Pennsylvania’s First were recognized last year at the NRA’s Fall Board Meetings for being the two most outstanding committees in 2008.
The Uintah Basin Friends of NRA, which made about $134K this year, has been around since 1996. For years the committee was steadily rising in net income, but did not make the jump to $100K until 2005. Since 2005, the committee has been unstoppable, making more than $100K every year.
The Paso Robles Friends of NRA committee is one of the newer committees that have crossed the $100K mark. Since their inception in 2003, they’ve been steadily increasing from $30K to over $110K in 2009.
Longview Friends of NRA has been around for 15 years, but it wasn’t until this year they reached $100K, surpassing it by nearly $8,000. The committee was founded in 1994 where they held a $340 event, a modest beginning for one of 2009’s most successful fundraising committees.
Congratulations to all of these committees for working hard all year long to hold the most successful banquets in the nation! There are still a couple of committees this year that plan on reaching the coveted $100K mark. Look out for the Alaska State Friends of NRA banquet on October 10 and the Colorado State Friends of NRA banquet on November 13!