The NRA Foundation’s Wall of Guns was again a crowd favorite at the Great American Outdoor Show, held in Harrisburg, PA, February 4-12, 2023. This year nearly 200 lucky winners got to pick their choice of firearm from the Wall. There were over 40 firearms for the picking, with the most popular firearms selected being the Henry Golden Boy .22 S/L/LR with NRA Logo, the Sig Sauer P320 9mm, and the Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic 25-06 Rem.
Randy Hartzell from Perry County, PA won his choice off the wall not just once, twice, but three times in a row making history for the Wall of Guns. “For my first two wins, I decided to pick a firearm. The third time I won, I decided to take the $400 cash option. It is like I bought one firearm and got one for free,” noted Randy. However, firearm raffles don’t seem to be something new to this lucky man. He mentioned he has won over 31 firearms in his lifetime.
“When I get on a roll I usually don’t stop, and I like to play firearm raffles. When you win a firearm, it goes right in your safe and is an investment,” stated Randy. “I am retired and married. I told my wife I was going to play the Wall of Guns with only $500 and that I was going to win three times. She didn’t believe me when I told her that had actually happened!”
In addition to the Wall of Guns, the Friends of NRA Banquet returned for the first time since 2020 with over 190 people in attendance. From great company, to good food, games, and limited-edition firearms and merchandise, it was a fun night for all who came. Greg Nyce, the NRA Eastern Pennsylvania Field Representative shared, “The 2023 Great American Outdoor Show Friends of NRA Banquet was a huge success. We had attendees and volunteers from across the United States, and there were six NRA Board of Directors involved with the event.”
The live auction included six donated hunts from participants at the Great American Outdoor Show, as well as multiple items donated from vendors. A highlight of the auction was the 2023 Gun of the Year- the Springfield Armory SA-35 9mm with NRA Grips. Overall, the banquet surpassed what it had raised in 2020, and achieved the High Caliber Club level status.
Greg added, “I want to thank all of the committee members and volunteers that assisted with the event; it could not have been done without them. I also want to thank Todd Ellis, from the NRA Board of Directors. His support and dedication to this event made it a success.”
Mark your calendars for next year’s Great American Outdoor Show, February 3-11, 2024 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA!
