At the 2016 NRA Annual Meetings Corporate Executives’ Luncheon, sponsored by Speedway Motor Sports, Inc., industry leaders gave an inspirational show of solidarity against the threat of Second Amendment political battles by participating in an impromptu fundraiser. Following Sturm, Ruger & Co. CEO Mike Fifer’s (shown, top) review of his company’s 2 Million Gun Challenge, which has raised $4 Million, MidwayUSA Co-Founder and CEO Larry Potterfield stood up and addressed the audience with a challenge of his own, stating that he and his wife Brenda would match, up to $1 million, the audience’s collective donation if they reached that amount in 12 hours. They did it in less than 20 minutes.
With the contagious spirit of an auction, industry executives began calling out their company’s donation to meet the Potterfields’ ultimatum. Inspired by each preceding bid, the pledges continued in varying amounts. As the momentum appeared to stall, Caitlin Fiandt, NRA Assistant Director for Corporate Donations, announced that the cumulative pledge had reached 80 percent of the goal. Breaking the silence, Frank Brownell, former President of the Brownells Family of Companies, called out the 43rd pledge and put the matching bids over the top, causing a spontaneous eruption of cheers and applause from all present.
As if in response to NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox’s earlier address to the Leadership Forum, during which he concluded, “This is a fight for our freedom! And if we stand united, we can be the key to denying Hillary Clinton the opportunity to destroy those freedoms. It is clear that our industry is, indeed, united and preparing to defend our nation’s most cherished rights.”
To make a personal donation to the unprecedented political fight ahead, NRA members may visit nrapvf.org/donate.
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