Since 2010, the NRA’s Youth Programs department has hosted Youth Day at NRA’s Annual Meetings & Exhibits. The Sunday event this year was sponsored by KelTec and supported by NRA’s youth organizations partners, who supplied not only manpower, but created fun activities for the youth attendees.
The event started at 10 a.m. with the local Scouting group presenting the colors. The National Anthem was played, and of course the Pledge of Allegiance followed. Kids who came to the event were given the opportunity to enter the Scavenger Hunt. This fun activity involved giving the kids a card with six different sponsors listed, all of which had booths on the exhibit hall floor. The competitors had to get their cards signed, and when they had all the signatures, they were given a raffle ticket for the afternoon prize drawing.
As the kids dropped off their scavenger hunt cards, they headed back to the ballroom to enjoy various activities. With pure joy written on their faces, they raced to the various booths such as the Royal Rangers, who had an exciting Nerf range that gave the kids a chance to aim at some targets and have some friendly competition amongst each other.
Scouting’s activity gave the kids an opportunity to try their hand at using "hand rockets" (sling shots) which proved to be lots of fun. There was also the Daisy BB range, and G&G Armament provided an airsoft range experience. Russ Arnold’s National Success Group was there with shooting simulator that was just as much fun as being on the range.
NRA’s Youth Programs provided beverages and snacks throughout the day for families to enjoy. At 3:00 the servers from the convention center rolled in a freezer chest with ice cream bars for everyone.
The grand finale started at 3:30 with the scavenger hunt prize drawing. Thanks to our additional sponsors Gunsite, Keystone Arms, Dillon Precision, Federal Ammunition, Daisy, Blue Trail Range, and Tuttle Twins for their in-kind donations of wonderful prizes. Our Grand Prize was a weeklong shooting class at the renowned Gunsite Academy.
The young lady who won could not have been more excited ... but her father may have been a little envious. A representative from Keystone stopped by to award two Crickett rifles, which got a lot of ooh’s and ah’s. Many more prizes went to the Youth Day participants. In fact, our goal was that everyone would leave with not just one item off the prize table but several, and we succeeded.
This could not have been such a success if it weren’t for our sponsors and youth organizations who supported this day. We here at the NRA humbly thank you.
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