The second Guns to Gardens gun surrender event will take place on Saturday, May 3, at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä.
The group’s first event last year resulted in around 30 guns being handed over and dismantled on-site, according to co-organizer Sarah Gottleib, a retired nurse.
“People are invited to surrender an unwanted gun,†Gottleib said. “As they watch, the gun is cut apart with a chop saw. Blacksmiths then take the pieces back to their forge to transform them into garden tools, art, or jewelry.â€
As a gesture of appreciation, those who surrender guns receive a gift card worth $100, $150, or $200, depending on the type of gun, while supplies last.
Gottleib recalled that many participants shared poignant stories about the guns they turned in. “About a third were inherited guns. We heard memorable stories like, ‘My dad bought it to go to deer camp with his buddies, and I don’t even know if he ever fired it.’ One woman brought a gun because her husband has dementia, and she wanted it out of the house. Others surrender guns because they were used in a suicide.â€
“It can be a powerful experience for the people who bring their guns,†Gottleib said.
Others just want to downsize. “We had a younger couple who bought a gun because they were going to drive across country and thought they might need protection. Several years later, they realized they’d never even had it out of the box, and they didn’t want to be gun owners.â€
Some stories were never told. “The very last person who came didn’t want to say what his reason was, but he wanted to watch the gun being chop-sawed. That is one of the requirements — because we are a gun surrender, not a transfer of ownership. When it came time for his gun to be cut, he felt it with his thumb. Whatever the story was, it meant a lot to him.â€
Relinquished guns must be in working order, unloaded and stored in a car trunk or back end of a vehicle upon arrival. No ammunition will be accepted at the event. Of the guns surrendered last year, most were handguns. A few were shotguns, and seven were semi-automatic rifles. Those surrendering their guns will remain anonymous, Gottlieb noted.
Guns to Gardens partners with RAWtools South, a group of volunteer blacksmiths based in Asheville, North Carolina. They handle the dismantling and reforging of the weapons. RAWtool’s products were sold last fall at First Presbyterian Church’s Hope Village and will be again this year, Gottlieb said.
Supporters of the event include St Marks United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, Village Chapel Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church of Dunbar and Temple Israel.
Donations are being sought. “We need money to purchase gift cards,†Gottlieb said, “and to help cover the expenses of our blacksmiths. They put a lot of money into this program themselves, and we try to help them cover that.â€
RAWtools provides the expertise to safely handle the guns. They bring saws and generators, tables, pop-up tents and a bullet chamber. Every gun is inspected to make sure it’s unloaded then fired into the bullet chamber to be positive that it’s unloaded.
Anyone who would like to help support the gun surrender can mail a tax-deductible check to Village Chapel Presbyterian Church at 3818 Venable Ave., ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, WV 25304.
St. Marks UMC is located at 900 Washington St., E., in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä. For additional information, contact Sarah Gottlieb at 304-546-7087 or sarahe54gottleib@gmail.com.
