BROOKINGS – Brookings Friends of NRA is holding its banquet Tuesday, Feb. 12, at the Brookings Days Inn Convention Center.  

The event will support the Second Amendment, shooting sports and hunting heritage with an evening of food, firearms and fundraising at the Brookings Friends of NRA Banquet & Auction.  

The doors open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner to follow. Tickets are $35 single or $60 couple. Tickets are available at The Exchange (322 Main Ave., Brookings), at the door on the evening of the event, or online at www.friendsofnra.org.  

This year’s banquet features numerous firearms and unique items chosen based on quality, craftmanship, functionality and compatibility with the ideals of the Friends of NRA program. Specialized hunts including a South African hunt for four and a South Dakota pheasant hunt for two will be offered. The banquet will also feature an exciting live and silent auction, and fun-filled games. Proceeds benefit and support shooting sports. Other special pieces that will be offered include:

• Charlie Daniels signed lyrics

• Concealed wooden flag created by Flags of Valor and Tactical Walls

• Promatic clay target trap

• Bullet link bracelet created by Country Strong

• Silver Stag guide knife combo set

• Brothers Forever sculpture 

• Quigley-Ford optics

The Friends of NRA Foundation, through fundraising events like this, grants hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to programs that promote the shooting sports, such as high school shooting teams, Boy Scouts, women’s self-defense programs and range improvements.  

More than $60,000 has been awarded locally by the group since 2010. Those receiving FNRA grant monies locally include Beacon Hill Rifle and Pistol Club, Brookings 4-H Shooting Sports Program, Brookings Gun Club/BCCL, Outdoor Adventure Center, Brookings High School Clay Target Club, Brookings NRA Youth Sportsfest, South Dakota State Shooting Sports Club, and the Brookings Cancer Shoot Out.  

The NRA Foundation is the nation’s largest charitable organization in support of the shooting sports. In large part through funds raised by the Friends of NRA program, the foundation has awarded over 48,000 grants totaling more than $370 million in grants in support of qualified groups and programs. 

The banquet will feature items that are unique, custom, or limited-in-production, and many that are available only at Friends of NRA events. 

The live auction will offer an original signed painting by area artist John Green, a South African safari and a South Dakota pheasant hunt. 

The evening will include a chance to take home the Gun of the Year, a Sig Sauer P210 American Standard 9mm pistol with Friends of NRA logo. 

The organization is offering a banquet special which is comprised of a FNRA ammo dry box filled with 9mm ammo, two banquet tickets, range passes to local ranges and a chance to win a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 2.0 9mm handgun. 

Contact any Brookings FNRA committee member or The Exchange for more information. This package will also be available the night of the banquet.

Raffle tickets will be sold for a chance to win choice of either a Sig Sauer P365 Micro Compact 9mm pistol or $300 cash will be drawn for at the banquet. Tickets are $10, and only 300 tickets are being sold. Raffle tickets are available at The Exchange or from any Brookings FNRA committee member and will also be available at the banquet.

To honor all veterans attending, there will be a special drawing. The drawing prize will be a Henry lever action .22 rifle with special engraving that has been underwritten by Dr. Dan Carlson. All veterans attending this year’s banquet will be able to register to win this unique rifle.  

The 2019 banquet will be full of items that display patriotism and what we fight for. The preservation of the future of freedom is our number one goal, and we need your help to do it. 

Tickets may be purchased at The Exchange at 322 Main Avenue or are available on-line at www.friendsofnra.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. You do not need to be an NRA member to attend. The event is open to the public.