Luck of the Draw

I have one lucky Dad.  Not only does he have the great fortune of calling me his daughter, he also has a knack for winning guns at NRA dinners, gun shows, raffle drawings, etc.  The most I've ever won was a soft gun case, yet he pulls down the big ones time after time.

His latest win was an M1 Garand. 

For those that aren't familiar, an M1 Garand is best known as the first semi-automatic rifle generally issued to the infantry of any nation, or "The Greatest Battle Implement Ever Devised", thanks to General George S. Patton.

This particular victory by my dad was made on New Year's Eve from a raffle drawing that the Central Illinois Precision Shooters held in order to raise money to build a new range for youth shooters.  With help from this raffle, they should have the funds to be able to break ground later this year on the property of the Darnall family, owners of Darnall's Gun Works and Ranges.  This new range is expected to be utilized by the local small bore pistol team, Illinois Junior Precision Shooters, as well as 4H clubs.  It will only be for small bore (.22's) and air guns.

Joe Miller, coach of the ISU Red Rifles air rifle team, has put a lot of time and energy into making this new range a reality.  If you would like to help him in making this happen, donations are greatly appreciated!