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/.

FAIRFAX, Va. – The National Rifle Association has selected three of its top Junior Members to receive the 2007 Outstanding Achievement Youth Award, recognizing them for their active participation in the community, the classroom, and the shooting sports.  Overall, $10,000 in scholarship money was awarded to the winners thanks to a generous donation from Brownells, Inc., the world’s largest supplier of firearms accessories and gunsmithing tools.

A $5,000 scholarship was awarded to first-place winner Juliann Terry, 18, of Newcastle, Wyo.  A member of the Rapid City Rifle Club, Terry placed first in .22 rifle at the 2006 Wyoming 4-H Shooting Sports competition and later represented the state of Wyoming at the 2006 4-H Nationals, placing fifth in the country in smallbore competition.  In addition to being a fine shooter, Terry is also active in her community, having presented the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program to local elementary school students and volunteering as a teen leader at 4-H workshops and summer camps in her home county.  She excels in the classroom as well, sporting a 4.0 grade point average while playing clarinet in the Newcastle High School Band.    

“Juliann exemplifies all of the qualities that we look for in awarding the Outstanding Achievement Youth Award,” said NRA Youth Programs Manager Larry Quandahl.  “She is an exceptional young person, one who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership qualities, complete dedication in the classroom, and an unwavering commitment to the shooting sports.”

The second-place award and its accompanying $3,000 scholarship went to eighteen-year-old Scott Thomas of Poca, W.Va.  Thomas, an NRA Life Member, is a member of the Putnam County Gun Club Junior Smallbore Team.  He is a three-time smallbore competitor in the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, and he has served as a volunteer at numerous shooting camps.  Thomas was selected to attend the 2006 Youth Education Summit (YES) in Washington, D.C., earning a hunting trip for his exceptional performance at the event.  He hopes to one day shoot on the West Virginia University rifle team. 

Jonathan Warhol, 16, of Leonardo, N.J., was the third-place winner, earning a $2,000 scholarship.  Warhol is an apprentice NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor and has achieved the rating of Distinguished Expert in the shotgun course of fire of the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program.  Warhol has distinguished himself on the skeet field, becoming the 2006 New Jersey Junior Champion in 28 gauge.  An honor student at New Jersey’s Mater Dei High School, Warhol teaches others the joys of shotgun shooting through the Women On Target® Program, youth day events, and the junior shooting program at the Central Jersey Rifle and Pistol Club. 

All NRA Junior Members (or NRA Regular or Life Members under age 18) who are current members of an NRA-affiliated club or state association and who have completed one NRA Basic Firearm Training Course are eligible for the award.  Applicants must also have earned at least one rating through the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program and submitted three letters of recommendation, a copy of their school transcript, and a 1,000-word essay entitled, “What the Shooting Sports has Taught Me.”

Aside from these core requirements, applicants must have participated in at least five NRA-sponsored programs.  These elective requirements include presenting the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program, attending the Youth Education Summit, competing in the Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC), entering the NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest, or participating in the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, among others.

Applications for next year’s Outstanding Achievement Youth Award are due at NRA Headquarters no later than May 1, 2008.  To learn more about the program or how to apply, please contact NRA’s Youth Programs Department at (703) 267-1505 or visit www.nrahq.org/youth/achievement.asp.  To learn more about Brownells, Inc., visit www.brownells.com.

Hunters are invited to send photos of themselves with downed game for possible posting on a new NRA Website, www.nrahuntersrights.org, set to launch Nov. 1.

The new site will have a section called Trophy Gallery, and all hunters are welcome to send photos in for consideration.

Simply email your picture to: huntersrights@nrahq.org, and put “Trophy Gallery” in the subject line. All photos should be sharp and display safe gun handling practices. Include the following information with your submission:

· Your name and hometown
· Date and location of hunt
· Firearm used
· Type of game species
· Any special details (first buck, record book animal, etc.)
Submission of a photo does not guarantee it will be posted.