Friends of NRA Volunteers of the Year Named

Friends of NRA Volunteers of the Year Named

National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, VA – -(AmmoLand.com)- The Friends of NRA Volunteers of the Year Award recognizes those volunteers who have made an outstanding impact on the program at the local or regional levels during the previous year. There are many who contribute their time to Friends of NRA banquets each year, but those who lend exceptional help deserve recognition. This new program by Friends of NRA is designed to let these dedicated and loyal volunteers know their efforts do not go unseen and are deeply appreciated.

Area Volunteers of the Year are individuals acknowledged for their hard work and accomplishments that enhanced the success of banquets over the past year. They are recommended by their Area Field Representative and chosen by a select committee of senior NRA staff, who evaluates criteria such as banquet tickets sold, sponsorships sold, pre-event raffle dollars, and underwriting they received during the previous year, as well as years of volunteer work and positions held during their service. Recipients of the award were given a sharp “2008 Friends of NRA Volunteer of the Year” leather jacket to further display their support for the NRA along with special recognition from their Area Field Representative.

Region Volunteers of the Year are chosen from those already selected as Area Volunteers by senior NRA staff. They make a tremendous impact in the Friends of NRA program not only locally, but also throughout the entire region they volunteer. Each Regional Volunteer will be honored as a guest to the 2009 Annual Meetings in Phoenix, Arizona, and recognized at the National NRA Foundation Banquet, which takes place Thursday, May 14th.

“This award stands as a tribute to your leadership, dedication and commitment to the preservation of the shooting sports and the Second Amendment that have advanced and will continue to expand the shooting sports in America,” wrote Wayne LaPierre in a letter awarded to Region Volunteers of the Year.

Below is the list of winners for the Friends of NRA Regions and Areas.

Region Volunteers of the Year:

  • Eastern Region: Pennsylvania (Western): Dale Emerick, Pennsylvania’s 1st
  • Central Region: Indiana: Brent Weil, Southwestern Indiana
  • Mid West Region: Oklahoma: Rick Cook, Western Oklahoma
  • Southern Region: Louisiana and Mississippi (Southern): Dick Withers, Central Mississippi
  • Western Region: Washington (Western): Brian Peters, Southwest Washington

Area Volunteers of the Year:

Eastern Region:

  • Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York (Lower) and Rhode Island: Ray Hanley, Nutmeg
  • Delaware and Pennsylvania (Eastern) Charles Fox, Bradford Area
  • Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York (Northern): Charles Rumsey, Penobscot County
  • Maryland and New Jersey (Lower): Margaret Clarke, Anne Arundel County
  • New York (Upper): Jacqueline Emslie, Mid Hudson
  • North Carolina (Eastern): Myron Cross, Coastal Carolina
  • North Carolina (Western): Penny Gilliam, Western North Carolina
  • Virginia (Eastern) and Washington, D.C.: David Wells, Southside Sportsman
  • Virginia (Western) and West Virginia: David Thompson, Midland Trail
  • Former Area Massachusetts, New York (Northern) and Rhode Island: Stephen Tomas, Worcester County

Central Region:

  • Illinois (Northern): Richard & Monica Young, McHenry County
  • Illinois (Southern): Dennis Wilkins, Madison County
  • Kentucky: Tom Laswell, Northern Kentucky
  • Michigan: Jeff Lafave, Livingston County
  • Missouri: Albert Boeving, South East Missouri
  • Ohio (Northern): Tom Paumier, Tuscarawas Valley
  • Ohio (Southern) Jim Dunkle, Zanesville
  • Tennessee: Bill Huff, East Tennessee
  • Wisconsin: Phil Zipp, North Central Wisconsin, Northwoods and SportsNorth

Mid West Region:

  • Colorado: Richard Gandolf, Colorado Springs
  • Iowa and Nebraska: Mic Goc, Crossroads
  • Kansas: Kevin and Krissane Smith, Capital City
  • Minnesota: Steven Weckwerth, North Country
  • Montana: Larry Stephenson, Bridger Mountains
  • New Mexico: Dana Terlecky, Sierra Blanca
  • North Dakota and South Dakota: Ron Walgamuth, Great Plains
  • Wyoming: Paul Hoeft, Buffalo Bill

Southern Region:

  • Alabama: Joe Phillips, Wiregrass
  • Arkansas and Mississippi (Northern): Brenda Donaldson, Capital City
  • Florida (Northern): Patty Williams, Suwannee River and Florida Gateway
  • Florida (Southern): Cory O’Connors, South Bay
  • Georgia: Dr. Ben Merritt, Vidalia
  • South Carolina: Luther Harmon, Jr., Saluda
  • Texas (Northern): Mark Friend, Longview
  • Texas (Southern): Laura Berry, Corpus Christi
  • Texas (Western): Mary Jeanne Asbury, Sandhills

Western Region:

  • Alaska: Denny Hamann, Alaska State
  • Arizona: Rex Hinshaw, Zane Grey
  • California (Central): Robert Anderson, Merced and Central California State
  • California (North Eastern) and Nevada (Western): Steve & Julie Carroll, Modesto
  • California (North Western): John Bower, North Santa Cruz County
  • California (Southern) and Nevada (Southern): Carl Overmyer, North Orange County
  • Hawaii and Oregon: Chris Pellissier, Jefferson State
  • Idaho (Northern) and Washington (Eastern): David Douglas, Kittitas County
  • Idaho (Southern), Nevada (Eastern) and Utah: Ruth Drake, White Pine

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.