Gun Buff’s Shot at Raising Funds for Kids Backfires

Gun enthusiast Yank Price admits that he misfired when he set his sights on a target for a charity fund-raiser this weekend.

Price aimed to raise as much as $15,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Venice through a two-day “shooting sports expo” that his International Shooting Assn. is helping sponsor starting today at the Los Angeles Police Academy.

But youth leaders ducked for cover after their supporters objected to the shooting competition--and to the handguns that Price planned to raffle off as part of the fund-raising effort.

Administrators of the Venice club, which draws children from several neighborhoods plagued by gun violence, said Friday that they will not accept any money from the event, even though they are trying to build a $3-million Lincoln Boulevard youth center and are about $1 million short.

“People just weren’t really happy with the idea the Boys and Girls Club would be affiliated with guns and violence,” said John Dzubak Jr., the club’s executive director.

The weekend target shooting event will include an open house at the Police Academy, displays by weapons manufacturers and competition among law enforcement pistol teams from the Los Angeles area and from police departments between Fresno and San Diego. Activities are scheduled between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. today and Sunday.

Admission is free, but Price hoped to raise money from fees paid by commercial exhibitors and by selling raffle tickets for as much as $5 each.

Price, 49, of West Los Angeles, said the 4-year-old International Shooting Assn. promotes recreational, fast-draw target shooting. Unlike other gun groups, it does not support hunting or the use of “humanoid targets” on shooting ranges, he said.

He picked the Boys and Girls Club of Venice as beneficiary of the event after observing its facilities, he said.

“For 15 years I’ve driven by it and seen it was pretty run-down,” he said. “They are building a new building, but they say they haven’t paid for it.”

Price said club operators welcomed him four weeks ago when he offered to do a fund-raiser.

“In the beginning they were thrilled. But things changed when the fliers began hitting the street,” he said. The advertisements noted that proceeds from the event would go to the club.

“I started getting calls from people saying it was inappropriate to do this for the girls and boys club,” he said. “I talked to one lady for a half-hour. I tried to tell her the bottom line was that we were trying to help the children.”

Boys and Girls Club fund-raising Director Chrissie Unruh said Friday that Price never explained the nature of his moneymaking plans.

“He said he’d like to do a fund-raiser for us. I said, ‘That’s wonderful,’ ” Unruh said. “I never knew about guns. We can’t be involved with guns. These kids go through violence every day of their lives. . . . You don’t put guns and kids together.”

When club operators called two weeks ago to decline the money, Price took the club’s name off the shooting show’s advertising. He also reprinted thousands of raffle tickets.

“It’s money that could have gone to children. In the name of the children they were hurting the children. I felt terrible,” Price said.

He said buckets will be placed on tables this weekend to receive any donations that competition spectators want to give. The donations will go to a police officers memorial fund.

Others in Venice said Friday that they are happy the club is out of the picture.

“I’m proud of them for turning down the money,” said veteran anti-gun activist Bradley Campbell, a 46-year resident of Venice.

“I hope it’s money the Boys and Girls Club can replace from other sources. They really need the money, but we definitely have to disassociate ourselves from guns,” he said.

Kathy Brown, founder of Venice for a Positive Change, added: “What is $15,000 when it could cost us lives? It blows me away [that] somebody would have raffles for guns.”

Workers at the Boys and Girls Club said some local youngsters--who are meeting at a middle school while awaiting construction of their new youth center--have been exposed to drive-by street shootings. “We’re trying to keep them away from guns,” one said.

As another consequence of the dispute, shooting enthusiast Price will be handing out free tickets for his weekend raffle, rather than selling them for charity.

Those holding winning tickets will receive new revolvers and, in one case, a custom-made semiautomatic worth $1,800, Price said.

The tickets will be free because someone anonymously reported the raffle plan to the Los Angeles Police Commission, which oversees charity fund-raising permits in the city.

“Somebody protested to the authorities. The city told us that since there had been a protest made they would have to act,” Price said.

“They said if we proceeded they would confiscate all the products were were giving away and all of the money.”

Police Commission spokesman Ken Ferber confirmed that his agency was prepared to enforce the law. “Raffles are illegal in California,” he said.

Price shrugged: “This whole thing has been an eye-opener.”