By Matt Crownover
Chronicle staff

     The Sun Valley Restaurant in Okanogan was the setting July 11 for the fifth annual Okanogan County Friends of the National Rifle Association banquet and auction.
     The purpose of the event was to raise money for the NRA Foundation, according to board member Brent Walters.
     The event netted about $15,000 according to board member Ralph Malone. He said there were about 140 people at the dinner. It was the largest turnout since the banquet began in 2004.
     Half of the money raised will stay in the state to be used for safety programs, events for the youth, Future Farmers of America and 4-H programs, police training and range development and improvement, Walters said.
     The other half of the proceeds will go towards national programs.
     Mike Cusick was the auctioneer and NRA Field Representative Brendon Hill helped host the event. Hill opened the event by requesting that everyone in attendance raise their hand and pledge, “If I were to receive a check from George W. Bush I promise to spend it on guns and ammo.”
     The top-selling item of the evening was the NRA gun of the year, a Weatherby Orion 12-gauge over and under shot that brought $2,500.