Alaska Youth Education in Shooting Sports gun show this weekend

The Alaska Youth Education in Shooting Sports (YESS) will be hosting their 17th Annual Christmas Extravaganza and Gun Show at Raven Hall Saturday December 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday December 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s show is shaping up to be their biggest one yet.

“We’re cramming as many tables as we can possibly cram into the Hall and it’s going to be a big show,” Alaska YESS State Administrator Lindy Moss said. “It will be like a gun show with a Christmas bazaar.”

Vendors will be selling everything from firearms and ammunition, to Christmas decorations and holiday crafts. Moss said she has already filled 200 tables and has had to turn vendors away for the first time ever. Entry fees for the show are $7 per person and children five and under are free. She anticipates a large turnout this year, especially following a weekend of canceled holiday events due to weather.

This is the only fundraising event of the year for Alaska YESS. For two and a half days, athletes from teams across the Valley volunteer their time to work the show. They help set up and take down tables, serve vendors, assist guests, work security and sell raffle tickets. Moss said not only do they raise funds for their teams, they learn work ethic, responsibility and leadership.

Perhaps the best opportunity this event creates is a chance for Alaska YESS members to engage with their community. Moss explained that the event allows the student athletes the chance to interact with guests and provide thoughtful answers to questions about the programs they participate in. It causes them to stop and consider what their participation in shooting sports means to them.

“It’s a really excellent opportunity for these kids,” Moss said.

Funds raised through entry fees, donations, raffle tickets and food sales help to outfit teams with equipment and ammunition across multiple shotgunning disciplines throughout the entire year. Profits are shared among teams based on participation from the athletes and the amount of hours worked over the two and a half days. Some money is allocated towards travel costs for athletes, like the nine that will be attending the Western Regionals competition in Las Vegas next March.

“It’s a win-win for everyone,” Moss said. “Everyone works, everyone contributes.”

With Christmas just around the corner and with the variety of goods that will be available at the show, there will be something even for the hardest-to-shop-for person in the family. By simply attending the event, guests are celebrating and supporting local and statewide shooting sports programs that so many youth benefit from.

“We’re really excited, this is going to be a good show,” Moss said.