The Welcome Home Veterans Living Military Museum at Richard’s Coffee Shop in downtown Mooresville (128 S. Main St.) boasts hundreds of wartime artifacts donated by patrons and is a place where veterans of all ages and periods, from WWII to current conflicts, gather daily to share memories and stories. The group is raising funds to purchase a building that will serve as the permanent home for Welcome Home Veterans.
“This will be a great day for Mooresville as we look forward to the grand opening of Point Blank Range and the RECON Patrol Road Rally and Concert sponsored by Welcome Home Veterans,” says Welcome Home Veterans President John Hedley. “It’s only fitting that these events will occur just before the observance of Veterans Day as both Point Blank Range and Welcome Home Veterans are dedicated to supporting veterans and the ideals that have made this country great.”
Point Blank Range will be a stop along the RECON Patrol Rally on Saturday, where rally participants will be invited to partake in a “Live Fire Exercise.”
“We are very excited to invite the community to experience Lake Norman’s premier shooting sports facility and we are honored to dedicate our opening to such a noble and worthy cause,” says Point Blank Range General Manager Dave Driscoll.
Of particular interest will be appearances by celebrity shooting stars Tim Abell and Mike Hughes. Abell, actor and host of Outdoor Channel’s Grateful Nation, is a former U.S. Army Ranger whose passion is exposing veterans to the American traditions of hunting and shooting.
Hughes, one of two finalists for this season’s TopShot, a shooting competition aired on the History Channel, is a USPSA Super Squad Competitor and owns Next Level Training, providing firearms training for civilians, military and law enforcement. He is also the inventor of the SIRT, a dry fire, laser sighted training pistol.
Raffle tickets will be on sale the day of and during the week leading up to Early Ray’s performance, offering a chance to win a variety of items including firearms, apparel, optics and accessories. A live auction Saturday evening will offer many items including a Ruger 10/22R Rifle Model 1151 donated by Ellett Brothers, a SIRT Dry Fire Training Pistol by Next Level Training, an African Safari from Hills of Africa Travel, as well as the opportunity to shoot with Abell and Hughes. All of the raffle’s proceeds will benefit Welcome Home Veterans.
Point Blank Range, at 743 River Highway in Mooresville, features 15 25-yard lanes for pistol, rifle and shotgun use, in addition to a cutting edge targeting system. A licensed “Class 3” firearms dealer, Point Blank Range stocks handguns, modern sporting rifles and personal defense shotguns, as well as ammunition, optics and other accessories. Point Blank Range is also the home of Patriot Gun Club and Shooting After Dark — an exclusive, after-hours access program for club members. For more information on memberships, training and corporate events, visit www.PointBlankRange.com.
