Henry Repeating Arms has a long history of charitable work, and nowhere is that more apparent than its “Guns For Great Causes” banner. The brainchild of company President and owner Anthony Imperato, Guns For Great Causes is Henry's way of taking aim at childhood disease...and this month, Imperato has childhood leukemia in his sights. Henry is donating a series of 65 custom “Prayers For Preslie” edition rifles to raise funds for the family of a 3-year-old Michigan girl battling leukemia, Preslie Mantsch.
All childhood diseases are heart-wrenching, but the Mantsch family's situation stands out. As the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered businesses and stretched our nation's medical resources to the brink of tearing, Preslie's father was standing outside the Milwaukee Children's Hospital waiting for a call. As a frontline healthcare worker himself, he knew why he couldn't be in the room with his daughter when she was diagnosed. He got the news every parent dreads--B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia--and the Mantsch family's battle began.
Thanks to Imperato, they won't be alone. Sixty-five "Prayers for Preslie" special edition Golden Boy Silver rifles chambered in .22 S/L/R are out the door and up for sale to help the Mantsches with a direct donation of all proceeds. All of the rifles are available for purchase directly through Henry’s website, except for the first and last in the series, which are up for auction on Gunbroker.com.
Update from the editor: You NRA Families are the best! We've just learned that all of the Prayers for Preslie rifles are sold out except for the two rifles up for auction. More details about those can be found at the end of this article.
Thomas says of his daughter, “Preslie is a magical, kind-hearted, wonderful, smart and caring little girl. She has a fighting spirit, and I am praying that she beats this.” He continues, “It is nerve-wracking to be working so close to the coronavirus frontlines with a daughter that is immunocompromised because of her chemo. We’re taking every precaution to keep her safe, but it’s hard.”
The “Prayers For Preslie” rifle features a nickel-plated receiver cover, buttplate and barrel band with a deeply blued steel octagon barrel. The genuine American walnut buttstock is engraved with an orange leukemia awareness ribbon in the middle of stylized butterfly wings, symbolizing hope and Preslie’s endurance. Above the butterfly are the words, “Prayers For Preslie,” in matching bright orange. Baron Engraving of Trumbull, Connecticut, donated the engraving work and hand-painted details. Each rifle in the series is marked with a unique serial number ranging from “PRESLIE01” to “PRESLIE65.
Henry President and owner, Anthony Imperato, says, “It is heart-wrenching to think of what children like Preslie and their families have to go through when they get a diagnosis as serious as leukemia.” Imperato continues, “We get so personally invested into each of our Guns For Great Causes benefits as soon as we see the first photo of the kid’s smile, and we hope this goes a long way to helping the Mantsch family in these most challenging of times.”
To learn more about the “Prayers For Preslie” Edition or to make a purchase, visit www.henryusa.com/prayersforpreslie. The auction for serial number “PRESLIE01” is available on Gunbroker.com, item #880628196. The last rifle in the series, “PRESLIE65,” is also listed on Gunbroker.com, item #880628718. Both auctions end on October 20, 2020.
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