NSSF’s Project ChildSafe and the Women’s Outdoor News (The WON) hosted the 5th Annual “Women of the Gun” event on Wed., Jan. 24, in Las Vegas, Nevada, during NSSF’s annual SHOT Show convention. More than 200 attendees, representing all facets of the outdoor world, joined to celebrate the achievements of women in the shooting sports and rally around a commitment to promoting firearm safety.
Barbara Baird, publisher of The WON, emceed the event. Baird’s digital publication works closely with Project ChildSafe to present facts, figures and personal testimonials on the need to promote safe gun storage and handling.
The event also marked the official kickoff of Project ChildSafe’s 25th Anniversary year, through which NSSF and Project ChildSafe will double down on the commitment to educate all gun owners on firearm safety, responsibility, and the importance of storing firearms securely when they are not in use. A hallmark of that effort is planned “National Gun Storage Check Week” during National Safety Month in June.
“We are more committed than ever to our core mission of educating gun owners on safe storage to keep guns out of the wrong hands,” said NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi. “We may be celebrating 25 years, but Project ChildSafe’s work is just beginning.”
To underscore that point, Bartozzi showed a snippet of a brand new hunting safety video, “Safety is Always in Season,” developed in partnership with Carbon TV.
The event also featured a keynote address from six-time Olympian shooter Kim Rhode, who issued a challenge to everyone in the room.
“We all know names like Serena Williams and Michael Phelps, they’re icons who define their sports, but how many people in this room right now can name the best rifle shooter in the world, male or female?” Rhode asked. “It’s time for our sports, and our industry, to define who these individuals are, and make them household names.”
The event, which was made possible by support from Ruger, Holosun, Hornady and Davidson’s (with additional support from Aero Precision and Crossbreed Holsters), concluded with a short presentation by Karen Butler of Shoot Like a Girl. Butler presented Project ChildSafe with her organization’s 4th Quarter “Excellence in Safety” Award.
In 2016, Baird and other women from the shooting industry launched a Meet & Mingle networking opportunity for women in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry. In 2020, it merged with NSSF’s Women of the Gun reception to become a highly anticipated and popular event with female executives, industry representatives, USA Shooting Olympians, members of the media and more in attendance. To learn more, visit womensoutdoornews.com, nssf.org, or projectchildsafe.org.
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
