As the Friends of NRA’s 30th Anniversary year comes to a close, the program is overwhelmed by the dedicated volunteers, attendees, and staff who help with the vital work of protecting the Second Amendment for future generations. The countless hours spent planning and hosting events, raising over 1 billion gross dollars for The NRA Foundation, and the thousands of relationships that have been built has been lifechanging for the shooting sports community. Supporting the future of freedom is critical, so families can continue to enjoy their hunting and shooting sports traditions for years to come.
The Friends of NRA Tennessee Senior Field Representative, Tom Knight, had his story begin with the Friends program back in 2001 when he was worried about the future of the Second Amendment. He said, “I had just had my first child and I knew I had to do something to make sure that she had the same rights and freedoms that I had growing up.” That worry pushed him to take action. At the time, Tom lived in Florida. He looked where he could get involved and found his local Friends of NRA Committee, Southbay Friends of NRA, located in Sarasota.
Tom was a devoted Southbay Friends of NRA volunteer for almost a decade, and eventually became the South Florida Field Representative. Twelve years later, the opportunity arose for him and his family to move to Tennessee, where he then became the Tennessee Senior Field Representative. Tom has received the Southern Region Field Representative of the Year award in 2015 and 2021 for his hard work and dedication to the Friends program. He recalls his favorite memory with the program was in 2021 when he helped the volunteers in Florida raise over $1 million net dollars.
Tom noted how it’s an awesome feeling being able to work every day to benefit the kids and the shooting sports for generations to come. He stated, “Not only are we providing these young people the tools and supplies they need to enjoy the shooting sports now, but these are the same people that are going to be fighting for our rights and freedoms in the future.”
Over the years, Tom has seen firsthand the impact that Friends of NRA and The NRA Foundation have had on the community. “I have seen so many young adults come back to this program after being involved with clubs and organizations that were supported by the grants awarded through The NRA Foundation.”
Join us at the next Friends of NRA event near you to support the Second Amendment and continue the hunting and shooting sport traditions for generations to come- https://www.friendsofnra.org/events.
To get involved with your local Friends of NRA committee, go to https://www.friendsofnra.org/volunteer/.
Happy holidays!
