The Friends of the National Rifle Association held their in Pearl River County banquet and auction at the Knights of Columbus Hall to raise funds for the NRA’s various programs.

The auction and banquet Thursday night was a fund raising effort to provide monetary backing to their multitude of programs, said Senior Field Representative John R. Kingsafer. He said that about 60 percent of the funds raised at these events go to youth programs nationwide.

Since 1994, the NRA has been holding fundraisers nationwide to provide money to fund programs such as Boy Scouts of America, law enforcement agencies and shooting ranges, Kingsafer said. So far, $180,000 has been raised in the auctions since their inception, Kingsafer said. Last’s year event in Pearl River County raised about $5,000, Kingsafer said.

“It’s just a lot of fun. We have a good time doing it,” Kingsafer said.

Kingsafer said that half the money raised in a state is earmarked to be spent in that state. The other half goes to fund the 184 NRA programs, Kingsafer said. Those programs include firearms safety training, youth education, hunter safety training, range development, conservation and second amendment education.

“I think they got a good thing here,” said auction attendee Dallas Hill. “I think they can raise some money here for the NRA, law enforcement and state.”

None of the money raised at banquet auctions goes to the political side of the NRA, Kingsafer said.

Auction items were either provided by the NRA or donated, Kingsafer said. Usually about 12,000 units of each product are secured for the events nationwide, Kingsafer said. The 2007 auction package has already been chosen, he said.