A Girl & A Gun was America's first chapter-based women's shooting organization, and over the years its members have come to see the AG&AG yearly national conference as a high point of the year. The conference, which is part training academy, part shooting event and part family reunion, is known as RISE. Last year A Girl & A Gun was forced to "rise" to the occasion of a global pandemic with a virtual conference. While that digital event was everything it could possibly have been, is no substitute for the real thing. The year 2021 saw the return of RISE ... and, of course, it was a smashing, sold-out success.
“Last year we hosted a very successful virtual Conference, but we were unable to meet face to face, give hugs, and cheer for success,” says Julianna Crowder, AG & AG’s Founder. “This year, with RISE 2021, we welcomed diverse and enthusiastic women, aged 12 to 77, who each have unique goals for self defense and recreational shooting sports. It is an honor that we get to share in their journeys and guide them along the way.”
This year's RISE was a little different from previous years in that it took place somewhere other than Texas for the first time. Cameo Shooting and Education Complex, near Palisade, Colorado, welcomed over 450 participants to RISE from 96 chapters of AG & AG, representing 36 American states. An additional 150 or so events staff, family and friends filled out the ranks. As is standard with AG & AG events, there was no "standard" participant; ages ranged from "high school" to "golden years."
Over three days of shooting, RISE conference-goers learned and heard from GLOCK’s National Director of Training Willie Parent, CZ-USA Field Sports’ Brand Manager Dave Miller, and Walther’s Tatiana Whitlock, Jim Dexter, and Olympian Gabby Franco. U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert was also on site to welcome the attendees to her home state of Colorado.
RISE 2021 boasted training classes on a wide variety of shooting and self-defense topics. The Cameo shooting facility also allowed AG & AG to bring Heligunner, so attendees enjoyed aerial gunnery with views of the gorgeous Grand Mesa. With facility developments planned in the next several months, AG & AG will be able to increase attendance for CELEBRATE 2022.
Registration for CELEBRATE 2022 opens September 1, 2021. Learn more at AGirlandAGun.org/conference/.
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