Get your tickets now for NRA banquet

The 11th annual Hot Springs County Friends of the NRA banquet is just a couple weeks away. The event provides an evening of fun and fellowship, and there’s plenty opportunity to win through the games, raffles and auctions.

This year’s banquet will be Saturday, Sept. 15 at the Days Inn. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. featuring Baron of Beef.

The banquet will see 23 firearms, as well as the familiar Wall of Guns. Among the more interesting items available are a items featuring John Wayne, an AR guitar signed by Ted Nugent and the 2018 Gun of the Year, a Kimber Custom II 45 ACP. There are plenty of firearms for people to get excited about, Hot Springs County Friends of NRA member Cynthia Garbin said.

Among the games at the banquet will be some old standbys, Garbin said, as well as a couple new additions and some kids games.

Proceeds from the banquet will go to a pool of funds generated statewide. Fifty percent of the money stays in Wyoming. Since the inception of Friends of the NRA, in Hot Springs County there has been awarded 16 grants totaling $114,000. Grant recipients have included 4-H shooting sports, the Thermopolis Gun Club and the Thermopolis Clay Cutters Scholastic Clay Target Program.

This year, Garbin noted, a total $36,665 in grants was awarded, $20,930 to the 4-H shooting sports alone, as well as the Clay Cutters, Thermopolis Gun Club and for the Wyoming Youth Hunter Education Challenge.

The remaining 50 percent of proceeds goes to the National NRA Foundation to support items such as safety courses, the Eddie Eagle program which teaches gun safety, women’s programs, enforcement training and Game and Fish programs

Admission for the is $35 for adults and $25 for youth 14 and under, which includes the dinner.

Advance tickets are available locally at Renegade Guns, White Horse Country Store/Canyon Sporting Goods, Black Bear Café, Thermopolis Hardware & Mercantile and Storyteller, or by contacting Paul Garbin at 921-8303.