The countdown is underway for one of the nation's premiere Friends of the NRA events as the Putnam County Friends of the NRA Banquet is slated for March 2 at the Putnam County Fairgrounds.
The festivities will begin at 5 p.m. and feature an evening full of fun and fundraising for Putnam County 4-H Shooting Sports.
"We are one of the top 50 events in the country and every penny raised goes to fund 4-H shooting sports programs in Putnam County," Clint Cooper, chairman of the Putnam County Friends of the NRA, told The Putnam County Post.
This year marks the ninth year of the event, as Cooper recalls the first time he attended a Friends of the NRA event, which happened back in 2008 in Crawfordsville.
"I went two years and thought, "this is cool, I would love to bring this to Putnam County." I told my friend Craig Haggard twice and he kind of brushed me off. The third year, I told him I wanted to do it and believed in the program. It is a program solely done by volunteers, one that I believe in and one I wanted to bring home," Cooper said.
With a goal from Haggard, who is an NRA Field Director, Cooper went to work to make the first year a success.
"I had no clue what it meant to put one of these on, but I wanted to do it. I took my dad and a friend to a meeting with Craig and he said we needed to net $30,000. I said put me down. We had the largest first banquet in the state and netted $34,000 that first year," Cooper recalled.
Since then, the event and dollars have grown significantly, according to Cooper.
"Within two years, we were netting above $50,000 and our third year, we had 350 people. Since then, we have had 400-plus people, net around $80,000 or so and have one of the top 50 events nationally and top five in Indiana. I don't make a penny off of it," said Cooper.
Cooper said for the state, $757 thousand will be given away in Indiana as a result of Friends of the NRA events, with 90 percent of those funds geared towards youth shooting sports.
"We've got high school trap and skeet teams to be a lettered sport now in Indiana. North Putnam has a great trap and skeet team," Cooper said.
And, while there may be misconceptions about the event, Cooper wants to set the record straight.
"This is not a huge 2A, gun toting event. It is an amazing event aimed at teaching future generations. Our 4-H youth shooting sports will shoot 15,000 rounds per year and it is fully funded by this event," Cooper said.
Cooper said there are still tickets available for purchase. Tickets are $50 each or $400 for a table. In addition, sponsorships are available beginning at $200, which includes an entry into a raffle for a shotgun. Anyone wishing to purchase tickets can call Cooper at 765-721-6584 or by visiting Morton Country Store and Gun Shop, 4919 W US 36, Greencastle, or On Target Guns, 711 N. Jackson St., Greencastle.
"It is a a great event, and I am super grateful to everyone who supports this," Cooper said.
