Henry Repeating Arms is donating a series of 65 custom rifles to raise funds for the family of 11-year-old Sami Bernadzikowski of Elkridge, Md., who is battling multiple congenital heart defects (CHD). All proceeds from the fundraising campaign, which are expected to surpass $45,000, will be presented to her family.
Since she was born, Sami has undergone five open-heart surgeries with at least one more to come later and more than 30 cardiac catheterization procedures. On top of a rare condition called heterotaxy syndrome, where organs are formed abnormally—in the wrong place, or missing altogether—she is diagnosed with several CHDs, including single ventricle, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary vein stenosis, transposition of the great vessels, and atrial septal defect. In addition, the 6th grader’s treatments require a visit to Boston several times throughout the year, adding to the overall cost of her medical expenses.
“She has been poked, prodded, and cut by doctors her whole life,” said James McVay, a family friend that brought Sami’s case to the attention of Henry Repeating Arms. “Her normal life is what anyone else would call torture, and she takes it in stride with the rarest complaint.”
“I have yet to see a photo of Sami where she didn’t have a huge smile on her face, which is incredible once you learn what she’s going through,” says Anthony Imperato, CEO and founder of Henry Repeating Arms. “I would like to give a big hug to Sami and her family, and I look forward to seeing how fast these rifles sell out thanks to the generosity of the Henry family.”
Over the last two years, Henry’s Guns For Great Causes campaigns have raised more $200,000 for five families, and all of the rifles sold out within a matter of hours after the initial announcements.
The “Support 4 Sami” edition rifles feature an engraved and hand-painted design that incorporates Sami’s whimsical, curious, and adventurous spirit within each letter of her name. Built on Henry’s Golden Boy Silver platform, the rifles are chambered in .22 S/L/LR and feature a nickel-plated receiver cover, genuine American walnut stocks, and a deeply blued steel octagon barrel. Each rifle in the series bears a unique serial number ranging from “01OF65SAMI” through “65OF65SAMI.” Baron Engraving of Trumbull, Connecticut, donated the artwork and embellishments on the buttstocks.
Bidding for serial number “01OF65SAMI” and “65OF65SAMI,” the first and last in the series, is open on Gunbroker.com until Nov. 4, 2021.
