Clay shooting is an outdoor sport where participants use a firearm to shoot flying clay targets out of the air. Last year, First Presbyterian Christian formed a clay shooting team and on Feb. 24, they were recognized and awarded a check by Friends of NRA, a program under the NRA Foundation. Friends of NRA raises money to give back to youth shooting programs. 

They support other outdoor activities such as archery and fishing, and focus on shooting sports for, as South Georgia NRA Representative Cindy Daniels stated, teaching youth about gun safety. 

The Friends of NRA is 26 years old according to Daniels and allows for grant applications starting in August. 

Lauren Hale, Head of School, applied for such a grant late last year. Daniels visited FPCA to present the team with an $8,232 check which, according to Hale, will be used to purchase ammo, clays, and equipment for the team. 

The team currently consists of about six to seven youth, but is looking to grow. Hale said the school wants to expand to 12 to 15 members within the coming year and hopes to double that number the year after that. They are headed by Varsity Coach Chris Eason and Junior Varsity Coach Scott Freeman. 

Hale stated in the previous year, FPCA spent over $6,000 on equipment for the shooting team, making the school very fortunate for the check. Team members were especially grateful for the check, eagerly taking turns posing with the check that will help support their team.