Wallowa County Friends of the National Rifle Association looks to raise funds for various shooting activities in Wallowa County, including the local 4-H program.

The Friends of the NRA have received multiple grants through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) by holding fundraisers such as the group’s banquet and auction being held this Saturday, Oct. 22.

The Friends took the money raised at a previous banquet to match it to a grant of $18,500 from the USFWS. They used the grant to begin building a covering for the shooting range of the Eagle Cap Shooters Association (ECSA) on Ant Flat Road. “We want to allow people to shoot in inclement weather,” said Keith Newburn, county coordinator for the Hunter Education program at the Ant Flat range. “We would like to get the range into a year-round program.”

Other grants received have gone to development of the different ranges at the ECSA’s shooting location. Their first grant in 2005 allowed the Friends of the NRA to build access roads to the ESCA’s 160 acres of range, on which shooters have the capability of firing up to 1,000 yards. Newburn says that this range has the potential to hold well-attended shooting competitions. Another grant given to the Friends of the NRA was used to construct berms for safety purposes on the pistol range, a short-range firing line.

Not only applied to improving the local range, the grant money has also been used to give firearms, air rifles and other supplies to the Wallowa County 4-H chapter’s shooting program.

According to Newburn, Friends of the NRA has returned three to four dollars to the community for every dollar collected in the fundraisers.

To make reservations for the Oct. 22 banquet and auction, to be held at the Enterprise Elks Lodge, contact Newburn at 541-410-3180. Admission is $35 for adults, $10 for children under 12. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30, and the auction starts at 7:30.