The legacy of Tom Knapp—arguably one of the finest individuals to ever work the firearm industry and world-class shotgunner—lives on in the Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships. This year, the educational stipends were awarded during the recent National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational, which took place in Grand Island, Neb. Recipients were Faith Newton from North Carolina and William Elrod from Georgia, both National 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassadors.
Applicants for the scholarship, presented by Federal and Champion Targets for the past nine years, are required to have attended National 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassador training, maintained at least a 3.0 GPA, and be enrolled or planning to attend an accredited college or university. Determining the winners was tough, according to the companies, which found all of the candidates to be outstanding. However, the winning pair’s volunteer efforts—not only in their local communities but throughout their states and regions—made them this year’s standouts.
“The Knapp Family would be proud of all the National 4-H Ambassadors and their shooting accomplishments,” said Federal ammunition’s Brian Kelvington, who along with the Knapp family, put together the scholarship program in 2014. “These annual scholarships have changed the lives of dozens of kids over the years, and this group does a tremendous job at sharing the positive effects that the 4-H Shooting Sports Program has had on their lives and communities across the country.”
Federal Ammunition continues to be the longest-tenured sponsor for the National 4-H Shooting Sports Program, which reaches more than half a million youths from across the country. The program promotes firearm safety and youth development through structured shooting-sports programs across all shooting disciplines.
Tom Knapp, seen above during a speed-shooting demonstration at the 2004 SHOT Show, holds three world records for clay shooting. He hosted Benelli’s “American Birdhunter” show for eight seasons, and his speed and precision with a shotgun was seen often on the Discovery, History and Outdoor channels. He died in 2013, but his dedication to young enthusiasts lives on each year in these scholarships.
