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Thread: The Edge Supports Young Guns Youth Shooting Program

  1. #1
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    The Edge Supports Young Guns Youth Shooting Program

    Yesterday, 11 May 2013, myself and a dedicated team of about 9 volunteers put on the first of the Buffalo Target Shooters Association's 2013 Young Guns Shooting Matches at our new action handgun/rifle/shotgun facilities in Kananskis.

    20 participants, including 17 kids between the ages of 6 and 18 showed up and many, for the first time, experienced the thrill of shooting. By all accounts was a huge success.

    This event came VERY close to being cancelled.

    As the director for the program, I had spent a LOT of time over the past 6 months preparing for it, and with the levels of resistance and non-support I received from many directions - particularly (and surprisingly) from many local businesses, I felt VERY discouraged.

    Ammunition supply is tightening up, shooting itself is tending towards becoming a "Old Man's sport," and finding dedicated people to run non-profit programs on a shoe-string budget is VERY challenging - requiring a HUGE amount of volunteer effort.

    I approached Heather from TSE a few weeks back and asked if she could talk to JR to help my program out. She and I talked about the program for a good half and hour, she asked what I wanted and walked through the store with me bouncing ideas. She told me to come back the next week and she would see what she could do.

    I came back in the following Sunday - and to my utter amazement - beside's Heather's desk was over $1500 worth of ammunition, prizes, and safety equipment. Allan (the shift manager) and 4 RO's happily helped me load all the gear into my van.

    The next week, I came in and talked to JR and he gave me some very kind words of encouragement.

    JR said to me "The future of our sport absolutely depends on young kids learning how to shoot. If you're going to donate all this time trying to get this program running, I'm going to chip in to help." I was literally on my way to the club's monthly executive meeting to resign and cancel the program - but JR's words weighed on me, and at the meeting, I pledged to continue to run Young Guns.

    I am working on a video montage of the shoot - but 17 kids and their parents walked away yesterday with a loot bag with some great TSE swag and prizes, witnessed their first action shotgun, IDPA, and steel challenge demonstrations, SAFELY put hundreds of rounds of ammo down range, took part in their first scored competition and most importantly left with huge smiles on their faces asking when the next match was (June 5 for our club's Children Hospital fundraiser, and July 13 for the next Young Guns shoot).

    Here's a few pictures (more to come) of the event.

    From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the Buffalo Target Shooters Association:

    THANK YOU TSE, THANK YOU HEATHER, AND THANK YOU JR!





    For more information about Young Guns, please visit here:
    http://www.btsa.ca/matches/index.php...oting-program/

    While TSE by far was the biggest contributor to this program (and I say saved it from cancellation), we still got support from the following local businesses which I also am deeply thankful for: Proline Shooters, Walmart, and Cakes By Design.
    Last edited by harbl_the_cat; 05-21-2013 at 03:46 PM.

  2. #2
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    Thats really awesome! I think what you did was a great thing for both the kids and the sport.

    I will now be adding TSE to the list of sites I check first when Im looking for something.

  3. #3
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    Getting kids shooting is fun and important, and JR and the rest at TSE are excellent folk.

    Good work HTC.

  4. #4
    CGN Ultra frequent flyer LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1's Avatar
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    This is something that should become a national, non-profit organization. A solid, professionally run youth shooter org is exactly what we need to help get more young people into shooting, and not only youth but their parents too. A long as politics don't get involved and the only goal is to teach youth how to safely shoot, and teach solid firearm safety into them, it could be a good program.

    Currently, the only way for youth to learn to shoot is by knowing people in the sport. Problem is not everyone know someone, particularly the urban families. But if they had a program to be registered in it could have a very large, positive effect.

    Herbl, if you keep at it you could start something good here.
    I'm no Superman, but don't worry, it's a common mistake.

  5. #5
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    thats great, always nice to get some new people shooting, and sounds like it was fun

    this happens in canada? headline reads: "terrorist training camp discovered; corrupting our innocent youth into cold blooded killers"

  6. #6
    CGN Regular K1LLswitch's Avatar
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    That is awesome Harbl - I had no idea about the buffalo group or the youth shoot until you posted, but as a Calgary father of 3 kids (5, 3, 2 weeks) I can't wait to get them into target sports, and I hope that you host this event again next year because I will be there!

    JR - thank you for supporting events like this! I was down at your store yesterday and was actually looking at your savage youth rifles wondering when I should pick one up for the kids. Since my daughter is only 5, I figured I would start searching the EE for one rather than buy new, but your contributions to the sport and community have changed my mind - next time I'm down there you will have one less youth rifle in inventory. :-)

  7. #7
    CGN Regular tavares86's Avatar
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    That's nice, good job. Hopefully it catches on elsewhere
    Member: CSSA

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  8. #8
    CGN Regular Bruce from Calgary's Avatar
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    Well done, JR and everyone!

  9. #9
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    Amazing work to both you and TSE. Now I must buy something from there
    Into the wild blue yonder....

  10. #10
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    Excellent work. You are lucky to have such a generous sponsor. I will certainly keep holding TSE in high regard.

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