NC youth football league raffles AR-15 to raise money for upcoming trip

A youth football league in Gaston County found a way to finance a team’s upcoming playoff trip, and not everyone approved of how the funds were raised.

League leaders raffled off an AR-15 live on Facebook to support the Optimist Pee Wee team from Stanley, WSOC-TV reported. Players were encouraged to thank people who purchased raffle tickets, according to the report.

“It just blew my mind,” one parent, Brandon Jenkins, told the station.

Others don’t see anything wrong with the raffle.

“They have to raise money somehow,” parent Damien Lockridge told WSOC, calling the raffle a great idea.

Stanley’s parks and recreation department also raffled off an AR-15 to raise funds this week, according to WSOC.

Though not terribly common, youth sports groups raffling off weapons is not new. Just in September, the Kansas City Star reported on a fledgeling youth sports league in Grain Valley, Mo., holding an AR-15 raffle of its own.

League organizer Rob Harrington said he hadn’t received any negative feedback over the raffle.

“There is a misconception that AR means assault rifle, which it doesn’t. It’s just like any other deer rifle.” Harrington told the Star. “Honestly, I’m born and raised in northern Missouri and there’s probably a gun raffle every month for somebody. We need money for the kids ... and this is how we’re doing it.”

This story was originally published November 22, 2017 at 10:04 AM with the headline "NC youth football league raffles AR-15 to raise money for upcoming trip."