Leaders of a youth baseball league in Ohio are hosting a fundraising raffle. Top prizes include an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and other guns.
Similar youth fundraisers have sparked controversy in communities across the country.
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The East Canton Youth Baseball Association, which oversees baseball for kids ages 5 and on through their early teens, has held a gun raffle for five years.
The raffle has been, in the view of association President David Spencer, an effective method of generating revenue for the organization.
“This is a volunteer-only sale ...,” Spencer said. “We do not own the guns. We would never own a gun. This is not a private sale.”
This year’s featured prizes are an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a 7mm bolt-action hunting rifle, a 12-gauge Remington shotgun and a Taurus handgun.
The raffle will be 1 p.m. April 29 in a local park, on the same day as youth picture day.