by NRA Staff - Friday, August 18, 2017

It is with great excitement that the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program, NRA’s groundbreaking gun accident prevention course for children, has reached another milestone. With the help of all of our volunteers, educators and law-enforcement officer instructors, Eddie Eagle has helped to educate children and save lives by teaching over 30 million children Eddie’s lifesaving message.

“The Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program has received hundreds of stories from parents and teachers demonstrating how tragedies were avoided thanks to our program,” said Josh Powell, NRA Executive Director of General Operations. "Firearm-related accidents among young children have been on a steady decline since NRA launched the Eddie Eagle program. It's a testament to NRA's commitment to child safety and Eddie's lifesaving message."

Volunteers for the Eddie Eagle program include NRA members, teachers, law enforcement officers and community activists. The program is also supported by private donors and Friends of NRA volunteers who raise funds to help pay for the program’s educational materials.

Altogether, more than 26,000 educators, law enforcement agencies and civic organizations have taught the program since 1988. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, incidental firearm-related deaths among children in Eddie Eagle’s targeted age group have declined more than 80 percent since the program’s launch.

Created in 1988 by past NRA President Marion P. Hammer, in consultation with elementary school teachers, law enforcement officers and child psychologists, the program provides pre-K through third grade children with simple, effective rules to follow should they encounter a firearm in an unsupervised setting: “If you see a gun: STOP! Don’t Touch. Run Away. Tell a Grown-Up.” Eric Lipp, National Community Outreach Department Manager, said, “The message is simple, easy to remember and fun for kids to learn.”

Law enforcement’s partnership with Eddie Eagle has proven to be very effective. In fact, over 400 Eddie Eagle mascot costumes are in use by law enforcement officers across the county. NRA also offers free Eddie Eagle materials to any law enforcement agency, educational facility, hospital or library across the nation.

The NRA encourages citizens nationwide to participate in heightening gun accident prevention awareness within their local communities. Schools, law enforcement agencies, civic groups and others interested in more information about The Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program, or persons who wish to see if free materials are available in their communities, should email the Eddie Eagle program at eddie@nrahq.org or visit eddieeagle.nra.org.