Washington Heights Athletic Association Youth Sports Group Has AR-15 As The Fundraiser Prize

The Washington Heights Athletic Association’s decision to include a potent rifle as a fundraiser prize has some in the neighborhood and beyond questioning the message that sends. The raffle of an AR-15 by a youth athletic organization in Mount Washington has ignited community concerns about the appropriateness of including a potentially lethal prize in a fundraiser meant to benefit school-aged kids.The Washington Heights Athletic Association organizes baseball and soccer teams for youths ages 7 to 12, according to& its website. The group advertised on Facebook and on its website a “2024 W.H.A.A. Memorial Day Super Ticket” raffle to support field renovations, with prizes including: $3,000 in cash A $1,500 purse gift card A “Custom AR 15 chambered in caliber of your choice” provided by Gunnys Gunz. The winner of the rifle has the option to accept $500 in cash instead. The offerings — which were removed from the WHAA’s Facebook page and website after PublicSource inquired about them — struck Mount Washington resident Ken Gianella as poorly thought-through.“I don’t think it’s an appropriate prize for a youth athletic association considering all of the high school slaughters across the nation,” said Gianella, who is the president of the Mike Creighton Memorial...