Columbia High School Wrestling holds gun raffle
Opinions divided about gun raffle
A Nampa high school wrestling team is trying to raise money, but how they're doing it has some people surprised. They're holding a gun raffle. It works like this. 52 guns, rifles and shotguns; everything from Rugers to Remingtons will be raffled off Jan. 5. But in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting some people say it's too soon.
“While we're a rural community and hunting is obviously a big thing in Idaho, I don't know that it's ok for the school to be doing that,” said Stephanie Parker, who opposes the raffle.
In a state like Idaho, where there are guns in almost every household, a lot of people support the raffle.
“Yeah, I mean why not," said Eugene Johnson, who supports the raffle. "You know the school needs the money apparently.”
The wrestling team planned the raffle well before the Connecticut shooting.
“How's it any different than any other time? If you go to Texas it’s happening every day,” said Johnson.
“Still, it worries me. You don't know who these guns are really going to. I mean sure, you're thinking it's probably a hunter or a sportsman, but you don't really know,” said Parker.
We spoke with a couple of parents who have kids that go to school at Columbia high school. They say people are making too big of a deal out of this. They remind people that these are all hunting rifles and shotguns that are being sold.
The Nampa school district says people are technically purchasing gift cards that are worth the value of various guns. To get the actual gun, you have to go to Sportsman's Warehouse and legally qualify.
“Carwashes, baskets, movie tickets that stuff you know, to help you raise money and do it in way that is probably geared a bit better,” said Parker.
About 1000 raffle tickets are available and so far 700 have been sold.








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