Elementary cheer squad asked to sell raffle tickets for semi-automatic rifle - New York Post

August 27, 2019 at 11:21PM

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Elementary school cheerleaders were asked to sell raffle tickets — for a semi-automatic rifle, according to a report.

Mom Neveah Chilton said she was horrified when her 7-year-old daughter on the New Richmond Junior Lions Cheer Team was encouraged to participate in a fundraiser to raffle off an AR-15 rifle, news station FOX19 reported.

"This is absurd, you're having elementary kids sell your AR-15. Why?" Chilton said.

She received an email last month that said that all members of the cheer squad would be required to sell five raffle tickets for the weapon to benefit the league's cheer and football teams, the news outlet reported.

Chilton said she felt uncomfortable with her daughter going door-to-door to sell the gun raffle tickets.

"Say one of the kids in the high school got a hold of it — got the AR-15 or AM-15 and shot up a school with it, and I'm the one that sold the raffle ticket to his dad?" Chilton said.

Another mom, Sari Brittain, said she received the same request of her 4-year-old daughter who cheers for the league.

"We live in a world where you don't know if Bob down the street is OK with guns," Brittain told news station WKRC. "So why would I take my 4-year-old daughter down the street to meet Bob who's not OK with it? And now he knows my face and my daughter's face."

The mom was allowed to opt-out of the fundraiser but the league is still raffling off the weapon despite the parents' concerns, WKRC reported.

The league president, Robert Wooten, said the controversy has only increased sales for the fundraiser.

"Since this has hit the press, the demand for it has increased substantially," Wooten told the news station.

Gimmie an 'A!' Gimmie an 'R!'

Elementary school cheerleaders were asked to sell raffle tickets — for a semi-automatic rifle, according to a report.

Mom Neveah Chilton said she was horrified when her 7-year-old daughter on the New Richmond Junior Lions Cheer Team was encouraged to participate in a fundraiser to raffle off an AR-15 rifle, news station FOX19 reported.

"This is absurd, you're having elementary kids sell your AR-15. Why?" Chilton said.

She received an email last month that said that all members of the cheer squad would be required to sell five raffle tickets for the weapon to benefit the league's cheer and football teams, the news outlet reported.

Chilton said she felt uncomfortable with her daughter going door-to-door to sell the gun raffle tickets.

"Say one of the kids in the high school got a hold of it — got the AR-15 or AM-15 and shot up a school with it, and I'm the one that sold the raffle ticket to his dad?" Chilton said.

Another mom, Sari Brittain, said she received the same request of her 4-year-old daughter who cheers for the league.

"We live in a world where you don't know if Bob down the street is OK with guns," Brittain told news station WKRC. "So why would I take my 4-year-old daughter down the street to meet Bob who's not OK with it? And now he knows my face and my daughter's face."

The mom was allowed to opt-out of the fundraiser but the league is still raffling off the weapon despite the parents' concerns, WKRC reported.

The league president, Robert Wooten, said the controversy has only increased sales for the fundraiser.

"Since this has hit the press, the demand for it has increased substantially," Wooten told the news station.

Elementary cheer squad asked to sell raffle tickets for semi-automatic rifleElementary cheer squad asked to sell raffle tickets for semi-automatic rifleElementary cheer squad asked to sell raffle tickets for semi-automatic rifle

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