SANDPOINT — The Bonner County Sportsmen's Association is preparing for its 6th annual Daughter and Son Day at the Range and the schedule is filling up fast, but a few spots are still available.

The free family event is for kids between ages 8-18 and focuses on gun safety, with an opportunity to learn how to shoot a .22 rifle or pistol in a fun and safe environment. Plenty of certified instructors and range instructors will be on hand to teach and ensure all participants are handling the firearms properly.

"It's phenomenal and the volunteers are phenomenal," said Cathie Malison, secretary of the Bonner County Sportsmen’s Association and co-chairs for the event.

Firearms, targets, ammunition and safety equipment are all supplied free of charge. Youth participants may also participate in door prize drawings, receive free promotional items, safety materials, and enjoy snacks and beverages free of charge.

All of the supplies, equipment, prizes, food and beverages are possible through sponsorship and donations from the National Rifle Association, Brownells , Idaho Fish and Game, the Co-Op Country Store, North 40 Outfitters, Wrenco Arms, Firearms Safety Solutions, Northern Lights, and many other local businesses and individuals contribute to this program. The city of Sandpoint's recreation department donates the use of the range as well.

Six years ago, the day at the range started out as "Daughter's Day" with about 28 kids, Malison said, but its success had parents asking if they could bring their boys as well. Since then, it expanded to about 100 kids each year. 

One of the moms last year had five children and told Malison how the kids appreciated the gun safety and were also impressed learn that shooting is a sport — an olympic sport, for that matter.

"One thing this program has done for us is taken our junior shooting program from six kids to 20 kids," Malison said. "... And the gun safety portion of this program is, we think, huge, because most kids in North Idaho, at some point or another, are exposed to a firearm."

The youth range days are scheduled for June 10-11 and each day is divided into two-hour sessions. The outdoor range, located on Turtle Rock Road, has 14 shooting benches, so each session is limited to 14 participants.

Four sessions are scheduled on Saturday between 9:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. with 15-minute registration periods in-between. Malison said most of the available spots are on Sunday, and if there is enough interest, she add another session, since only three are scheduled for Sunday. Sunday sessions start at with registration at 10 a.m. with the first session at 10:15. With the limited number of spots available, signing up in advance is required.

Registration may be done using the application available on the Bonner County Sportsmen’s Association website at bonnercountysportsmen.org or e-mailing a request to [email protected].

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.