The National Rifle Association is forever grateful for the time, effort, volunteerism and hard work these two women have put forth to support the Second Amendment and the shooting sports. We are honored to present them with the 2015 Women’s Awards.
The 2015 Sybil Ludington Women’s Freedom Award was presented to Carolyn Meadows of Marietta, Georgia. Carolyn is a very impressive woman, and with all that she does it’s hard to believe that she only operates on a 24-hour day. Since 2003 she has been an active member of the NRA Board of Directors, and she uses her experience as a political leader to effectively lobby Congress and Georgia legislators to ensure support of the Second Amendment in her home state. She is a passionate shooter and hunter, and volunteers her time emphasizing the importance of gun safety by teaching firearm safety courses to all ages, including the Annual Jet Williams Law Enforcement Shootout and the Lockheed-Martin Gun Club.
The Sybil Ludington Women’s Freedom Award is named after a heroine of the American Revolution, and was first awarded in 1995. This award is presented to women who are passionate about preserving the Second Amendment, and who take the lead in promoting the NRA through volunteerism and legislative activism.
Linda Gilbertson of Concho, Arizona, has been awarded with the 2015 Marion P. Hammer Woman of Distinction Award, named after the first female president of the NRA. Linda, an unbelievable woman, has taken hold of the increased participation of women in firearms and sprinted with it. Linda volunteers her time as an NRA Certified Instructor to teach women about guns and gun safety, and serves as a pistol instructor at the NRA Women’s Wilderness Escape. She is a former Oregon State Police Officer and United States Treasury Department Special Agent, so her experience and respect for firearms is almost unparalleled. Linda and her husband co-host “The Gun Locker,” a radio show centering on all things guns. If you thought there was not much else Linda could do in support of the Second Amendment, well you’d be wrong—she is the co-founder of several gun clubs.
The Marion P. Hammer Woman of Distinction Award is presented to those women who exemplify activism in the fight to preserve the Second Amendment freedoms.
“Carolyn Meadows and Linda Gilbertson are two remarkable women who have helped so many people discover the fun of safe firearm ownership and usage … We are so grateful for their contributions to the Second Amendment and the lasting impact of their volunteerism will be felt for generations to come,” said Kyle Weaver, Executive Director of NRA General Operations.
For more about the Women’s Awards and other NRA programs for women, visit http://women.nra.org or call (800) 861-1166.
