Local baseball team raffles a rifle
Shooting for the big bucks, that’s what the parents of one local baseball team are doing. They’re raffling off a new AR-15 rifle.
“This team is a force to be reckon with,” said Dane Nelson, the father to one of the players of the Idaho Youth Sports Baseball Team.
Dane Nelson is a proud parent of his three boys who thrive in sports. For the past three years, Nelson’s youngest son has been playing sports all year round with the same group of kids.
And the baseball team Nelson’s son is on, the Idaho Youth Sports Baseball Team, has gone to multiple tournaments in Mesquite, Salt Lake, and right here in eastern Idaho.
“They play basketball together. Some kids play on the same football team. They’re just phenomenal to watch,” said Nelson.
The team has had tremedous success, but according to Nelson, equipment and travel expenses can add up quickly. That’s why the parents of the Idaho Youth Sports Baseball team are holding a raffle. The prize up for grabs, an AR-15 riffle.
Their reason: “A lot of people since the tragedies that have taken place think that gun is going to banned shortly. I hope it’s not, but it’s tough to buy one in town,” said Nelson.
The parents of the team bought an AR-15 one month ago and have been selling raffle tickets for the rifle at Sportsmans Warehouse in Idaho Falls every weekend.
The response has been nothing but positive.
“We’ve exceeded our expectations. what where the expectations? $2000 to $3000. We knew that there would be some possible negative feedback, but we haven’t had any,” said Nelson.
But they’re not selling this gun to anyone. The parents have been working with local gun store owners to make sure that the gun does not land into the wrong hands.
“You have to be 18 years and older to actually buy a raffle ticket. Name and phone number will be transferred into the new owner’s name. You have to be legally subject to own a gun,” said Nelson.
If you would like to buy a raffle ticket, the parents of the Idaho Youth Sports Baseball team will be selling them tomorrow and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Idaho Falls. The winner will be chosen between 4 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
The Idaho Youth Baseball Team is hoping to win its first championship this year.
