FAIRFAX, Va. — The National Rifle Association (NRA) announces that the Beretta Group of companies, led by Beretta U.S.A., Benelli U.S.A., and Burris in the United States have pledged to give the NRA $1 million over the next five years. This gift will benefit the NRA Institute for Legislative Action and the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund's litigation activities to further expand the scope of Second Amendment protections in the wake of the recent United States Supreme Court ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller.
The announcement was made by Cav. Ugo Gussalli Beretta at an event at his home in Clinton, Maryland, on August 20. At this event, Cav. Beretta was inducted into the NRA's Golden Ring of Freedom, the highest level of the Association's comprehensive donor recognition society. This new pledge brings the Beretta Group's gift commitments to the NRA to over $2 million. Previous gifts have benefited the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, NRA Youth Programs, Hunting and Wildlife Conservation, and the National Firearms Museum.
Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President remarked, "The Beretta Group is legendary in the industry and an important member of the NRA family. We are truly grateful for Cav. Beretta's vision and leadership. The Beretta Group and the NRA are natural partners when it comes to protecting our Second Amendment freedoms and this gift will have great impact in the months and years ahead."
The NRA Institute for Legislative Action mobilizes millions of volunteers nationwide on behalf of candidates who support our Second Amendment freedom, and has the most effective "ground game" in the country during an election year. The Civil Rights Defense Fund, the NRA's sister 501(c)3 organization,supports litigation involving significant legal issues relating to the right to keep and bear arms.
"The Beretta Group's support could not come at a more critical time," said Chris Cox, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action. "Cav. Beretta understands the immediate challenges to our shared values and has literally reached around the globe to strengthen our position in this fight."
Beretta U.S.A. is part of the Beretta Holding Group. Controlled by the Beretta family, the group encompasses key manufacturers of field and competition firearms and optics, as well as trading and distribution companies in Italy and abroad including Benelli, Franchi and Uberti in Italy, and Sako and Tikka inFinland. The oldest among them, Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A. (Pietro Beretta arms manufacturing company), which has been handed down over fifteen generations, was active in the village of Gardone Val Trompia in the fifteenth century. Documentary evidence for the family business dates back to 1526. Cav. Ugo Gussalli Beretta and his sons, Pietro and Franco, run the company today.
To learn more about opportunities to make a gift to the NRA, contact Nicole Capossela, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, NRA Office of Advancement, (703) 267-1122 or visit www.nragive.com. To learn more about the Beretta Group, visit www.beretta.com.