Grant provides new shooting sports, archery, and safety equipment

Virginia Beach, Va. – The NRA Foundation has awarded Scouting America Tidewater Council a grant totaling $10,745. The grant provides shooting sports, archery, and safety equipment for use at Pipsico Scout Reservation in Spring Grove, Va., and at Scout camps in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach, Va.

“We are thrilled to provide local youth with enhanced range and target activities,” said James Parnell, Scout Executive for Tidewater Council, “and grateful for the NRA’s investment in our community.”

The grant provides new safety gear, ammunition, equipment, and archery supplies. Tidewater Council offers shooting sports and archery as part of its comprehensive character-building Scouting programs. In addition to education and safety training, Scouts enjoy shooting sports and archery experiences at summer resident camps, day camps, and weekend events.

Scouting teaches life lessons centered on character, fitness, citizenship, and leadership development. Through Tidewater Council’s shooting sports and archery programs, youth learn safe and responsible handling of firearms, marksmanship, discipline, leadership, citizenship, self-reliance, problem-solving, responsibility, appreciation of nature and natural resources, conservation ethics, and, for many, a lifelong hobby.

Support from The NRA Foundation and Friends of NRA makes it possible for Tidewater Council to provide affordable range and target activity programs for local families, so all interested youth have opportunities to participate.

About the National Rifle Association

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Five million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and is the leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit www.nra.org.

About The NRA Foundation

Established in 1990, The NRA Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that raises tax-deductible contributions in support of a wide range of firearm-related public interest activities of the National Rifle Association of America and other organizations that defend and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. These activities are designed to promote firearm and hunting safety, to enhance marksmanship skills of those participating in the shooting sports, and to educate the general public about firearms in their historic, technological, and artistic context. More information about The NRA Foundation can be found online at www.nrafoundation.org.

About Friends of NRA

Friends of NRA is a grassroots fund-raising program that fosters community involvement to organize and, with help from NRA field staff, plan community events for firearms enthusiasts. All net proceeds from Friends of NRA events are allocated to The NRA Foundation, the leading charitable organization in support of the shooting sports. Through NRA Foundation grants for equipment, training materials, range improvements, and more, qualified local, state, and national

programs receive aid to involve and inspire a new generation of competitive shooters. Learn more about Friends of NRA at www.friendsofnra.org.

About Scouting America Tidewater Council

Established in 1911, Tidewater Council is the fifth oldest Scouting America council in the United States. Today, the council serves approximately 4,000 youth and 1,700 adult volunteers in the Virginia cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach and the North Carolina counties of Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, and Perquimans. To learn more about Tidewater Council or to sign your child up for Scouting, visit TidewaterBSA.com, email james.parnell@scouting.org, or call 757-497-2688.

About Scouting America

Scouting America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.^®”

Scouting America welcomes all of America’s youth into its programs. Scouting aims to give them fantastic experiences in the outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow in a safe environment. More than 130 million Americans have participated in Scouting’s programs since its founding. Today, more than one million youth are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils nationwide.

To learn more about Scouting America’s mission, visit Scouting.org.