The National Rifle Association’s Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year in Louisville, Kentucky, this May. To commemorate his birthday, Eddie will be traveling to schools to teach his important lifesaving safety message to children throughout the greater Louisville area. In Eddie’s 20 years of outreach, more than 21 million children in the United States have been taught NRA’s simple, effective, firearm accident prevention program.

Eddie’s celebration also extends into the NRA’s 137th Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Louisville from May 15-18 at the Kentucky Expo Center. Attendees will be treated to giveaways like the Eddie Eagle DVD, and have the opportunity to have a photo taken with Eddie.

The Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program is a groundbreaking firearm accident prevention program designed for children in pre-kindergarten through third grade. It was created in 1988 by past NRA President Marion P. Hammer, and was developed in consultation with law enforcement officers, elementary schoolteachers, and child psychologists. Eddie Eagle gives children a simple, effective action to take if they encounter a firearm in an unsupervised situation: “If you see a gun: STOP! Don’t Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.” The program does not teach gun handling, nomenclature, or use, and makes no value judgment whether guns are good or bad.

“The NRA takes great pride in being the leader in firearms safety programs. Our commitment to the prevention of firearm accidents and the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program is unequaled. It is not only a major part of our Association’s mission, it is a part of who we are,” Hammer said. “Eddie Eagle has taught millions of children what to do if they see or find a firearm when they are not under the supervision of an adult. No other organization and certainly no government can match that accomplishment.”

Over the years, the program has been praised by numerous groups and elected officials, including the National Sheriffs’ Association, the U.S. Department of Justice (through its Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency), the Association of American Educators, the Youth Activities Division of the National Safety Council, and 26 state governors.

Reaching approximately a million children a year, the program has been utilized by more than 26,000 schools, law enforcement agencies, and civic groups. With no sign of slowing down, Eddie Eagle plans to be around for at least another 20 years, thanks to donations made to the NRA Foundation’s Eddie Eagle Endowment.

Funds raised through Friends of NRA and distributed through The NRA Foundation (www.nrafoundation.org) enable schools and police departments to teach the program at minimal or no cost. The NRA encourages citizens nationwide to participate in heightening firearm accident prevention awareness within their local communities. For more information about The Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program, or to find out if free Eddie Eagle materials are available, call NRA’s Eddie Eagle Department at (800) 231-0752 or visit its Web site at www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/.