My husband is a lucky man. He’s attended two Friends of the NRA banquets in his life and each time, he’s won a gun in the raffle. He wins guns that I like to use, too. The first year he won a Beretta ES-100 12 gauge that quickly found its way on a dove hunt with me, and this year, I walked by the gun table and touched the Uberti .45 Long Colt, single-action revolver and said something like, “Oh, I’d like to shoot that one!”
He popped a ticket in the bucket because of my statement and lo and behold, won the gun!
At least 800 attendees enjoyed the Mid-Missouri Friends of the NRA Banquet held on March 13 in Columbia, Mo., a banquet started by Brenda and Larry Potterfield of MidwayUSA in 1992. The Potterfields attended and even brought their two grandchildren, Eliza and Jay.
Brenda and Sara Potterfield with Sara's children, Eliza and Jay. Oh, and that's friend of the family Bart Ballew in the middle. Photo by Jason Baird.
We met up with Associate Editor Tammy Ballew and her husband, Bart, who sponsored a table for The WON. Their friends and family completed the group and laughter flowed all evening, just like we were among old friends. I won’t even describe what Bart did with the rosemary garnish.
Stephanie Walters, president of the University of Missouri shooting team. Photo by Barbara Baird.
We met the president of the University of Missouri’s shooting team, a lovely young woman named Stephanie Walters, who will be featured here in the near future.
Most of all, attending that banquet made me reaffirm my belief that if you want to promote conservation or education about the outdoors, you need to find at least one organization that you can support and not only support it with your membership dollars, but also attend that group’s banquet. You’ll come away with new and renewed friendships, and also, if you’re lucky, a gun or grandfather clock or hitch cover.
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Sweet!!!. All you need now is some Annie Oakley costumes and go Cowboy shooting. Fantastic turnout.
On Friday our local Tucson NRA Women’s Leadership is going to host their monthly lunch. I usually put off going; the typical excuse of always something else to do. You’ve convinced me I’ll contribute to something bigger then myself by attending. Good article Barb and tell Jason he picked wisely!
Your husband is a lucky man, he has you, Barb!
It was a great evening and a great cause. The Mid-Missouri Chapter of the Friends of NRA always has an excellent banquet and raises a lot of money for the National Rifle Association. And when you’re in a crowd of Second Amendment supporters such as this, it reaffirms a passion many of us have for that important right to bear arms.
I guess I’m going to have to start signing autographs now that I’m famous!!
Seriously Barb, we were delighted to have you and Jason at our event. Thanks for taking the time to come and support our chapter. I encourage any and everyone to support you and the WON. We need good people like you to get as many women, children, and men to get involved in shooting sports and preserve our heritage. Thanks!!!