Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Alena Luoma, left, and Kyle Luoma, owners of Luoma's Saxon Pub, donate their winnings from a recent 50-50 raffle to support gun safety education in Iron County to instructor Bill Sivula and lead instructor David Vuorenmaa. As part of a group called Hurley Area Safety Education, Vuorenmaa leads an effort to teach gun safety and all-terrain vehicle safety classes each spring and fall.
SAXON, Wis. - Alena and Kyle Luoma, of Saxon, wanted to do something nice for the region's youth and help support gun safety and all-terrain vehicle education classes.
The owners of Luoma's Saxon Pub decided to conducr a 50-50 raffle to raise money to help David Vuorenmaa's efforts with Hurley Area Safety Education. He's the outfit's lead instructor, working with both gun safety and ATV classes.
When it came time for the drawing, a ticket purchased by Luomas in the name of the Pub was drawn and Alena and Kyle donated the winnings to the cause, as well, giving all $237 to the safety classes.
"I volunteer all my time, as do all the instructors who help out," Vuorenmaa said. "It's really nice of the Luomas to help us out, running the raffle and then donating their winnings."
He said they'll use the money for ammunition, class supplies and to repair guns used in the class.
Vuorenmaa said this will be his 19tth year teaching the classes, adding there are about a half-dozen other instructors who also volunteer their time.
They offer separate gun safety and ATV safety classes each spring and fall in Iron County. While most students are kids, they'll accept adult students, as well. "We can't discriminate and we want everyone to be safe," he said. "We encourage the parents to attend the classes and we often hear positive comments from them."
The gun safety classes need to include at least 12 hours of instruction, according to the state, but Vuorenmaa said they often go 15 hours over five or six days. The state requires six hours of class for the ATV safety instruction, but he said they typically last eight hours over two days. Classes are held at the Iron County Courthouse in Hurley.
Gun safety classes are required by age 12 to buy a license and the ATV classes are required to ride legally.
At the end for the gun safety class, there is a written test, before heading to the fire range in Iron Belt for the field test. "This is where we'll use the ammo we bought with the money from the raffle," he said.
For more information on the Iron County gun safety and ATV safety classes, call Vuorenmaa at 715-561-3611.
-Larry Holcombe
