Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Eddie Eagle GunSafe^® Program Celebrates 30th Anniversary
NRA Gun Accident Prevention Program Has Reached Over 30 Million Youths 

FAIRFAX, Va. – The National Rifle Association's Eddie Eagle GunSafe^® Program is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2018. In the program’s three decades of outreach, more than 30 million children across the United States have learned NRA’s simple, effective firearm accident prevention principles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unintentional firearm fatalities among children of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe^® Program’s targeted age group have declined almost 80 percent since the program’s debut. 

Created in 1988 by NRA Past President Marion P. Hammer, the Eddie Eagle GunSafe^® Program is a gun accident prevention program developed by a task force made up of educators, school administrators, curriculum specialists, urban housing safety officials, clinical psychologists, law enforcement officials and National Rifle Association firearm safety experts. The program was founded with one mission: to teach children four simple, easy to remember steps so they know what to do if they ever come across a gun -- STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.  

“The effectiveness of the program is confirmed by declining gun accidents among children, its popularity with the schoolteachers and law enforcement officers who teach it, and testimonials that relate incidents in which children encountered guns, but because of what they learned in the Eddie Eagle program, they sought help from an adult and avoided injury,” said Eric Lipp, NRA’s National Community Outreach Manager. "Firearm-related accidents among young children have been on a steady decline since NRA launched the Eddie Eagle program. It's a testament to NRA's commitment to child safety and Eddie's life saving message." 

Impacting approximately a million children a year, the Eddie Eagle GunSafe^® Program has been utilized by more than 28,000 schools, law enforcement agencies, and civic groups. The governors of 26 states have signed resolutions recommending that the program be used in their school systems and the legislatures of 25 states passed resolutions recommending the use of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe^® Program.

“The message is simple, easy to remember and fun for kids to learn,” Lipp added. “NRA has been the leader in children firearm accident prevention for the past 30 years, investing millions to help ensure that children stay safe.”

Funds raised through Friends of NRA and distributed through The NRA Foundation enable schools and police departments to teach the program at minimal or no cost. The NRA encourages citizens nationwide to participate in heightening gun accident prevention awareness within their local communities. School administrators and faculty, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, and others interested in more information about the Eddie Eagle GunSafe^® Program should contact the Eddie Eagle GunSafe^® Program by email at [email protected] or call (800) 231-0752. Parents can visit www.eddieeagle.com to begin learning today!

About the National Rifle Association
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Five million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and is the leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit http://www.nra.org.

###