Pull a trigger, give back to the community

Written by MASHOKA MAIMONA, of THE LONDON FREE PRESS and posted originally on their website on July 2, 2011 2:22pm

You can give back to the community by simply squeezing the trigger of an airsoft pistol, as a weekend target shooting contest looks to “blast” hunger away.

Forest City Surplus is looking to help the London Food Bank out by organizing a target shooting competition Saturday and Sunday - instead of the usual shooting range fee, you simply bring by a can or make a minimum $2 donation.

“We at Forest City thought it would a good way to give back to the community after all they’ve done for us, especially with the successful opening of our airsoft room,” said Tim Hodges, marketing director.

“(The Food Bank) is one of my favourite charities because it’s an excellent organization which helps provide for the most basic need - food. And they’re very good in figuring out who really needs it, rather than routinely distributing the cans.”

Hodges is expecting airsoft shooters from across Southwestern Ontario, with $460 dollars in rifles as prizes, to be announced Monday morning.

“It’s a good weekend for Londoners who couldn’t get away for the holiday, to give them something to do while they’re home.”

The usual fee to use the tactical room at Forest City Surplus costs $2.99 or $3.99, depending on the number of BBs each airsoft gun uses.

“We’ve tried to make the competition more interesting by using a standard PT92, which makes it more difficult to shoot at a 4-inches-in-diameter target from 28 feet away,” Hodges said.

He said the trickiness of using a pistol versus an automatic firearm with a gun rest has made for some frustrating results Saturday, with expert shooters coming away with lower-than-expected scores.

Curtis Lucas, 56, of London’s Wolseley Barracks, tried his hand in the tactical room for his first time after his 25-year-old daughter Tanya discovered the competition online.

“The concept is excellent - anything to raise cans for our residents, especially in a city with such a proud military presence,” said Lucas.



You can contact Mashoka Maimona the author on Twitter at twitter.com/MMatLFPress