Boulder County, Colo. - The free gun safe giveaway event, held on October 18th in Boulder, Colorado, was a resounding success. The event, a collaborative effort between the Boulder Rotary Club, the YMCA of Northern Colorado, the District Attorney’s Office, and Boulder Community Health (BCH), saw an overwhelming response from the community. The event was hosted at the BCH Foothills Campus.

These giveaway events promote gun safety and responsible firearm storage within the community. The initiative has been met with strong enthusiasm from the public, attracting hundreds of residents who are eager to obtain secure storage solutions for their firearms. Every gun safe that is given away reduces the likelihood of a needless tragedy, whether it be suicide or a stolen gun used in a violent crime.

Approximately $20,000 had been raised by the Boulder Rotary Club and from generous community members to support the event. This funding allowed for the distribution of 260 home safes, 250 car safes, and approximately 150 cable locks. Together, we distributed 510 gun safes in 20 minutes. Attendees also received educational materials on firearm safety and were provided with the opportunity to receive free Narcan.

Over 40 volunteers contributed to the success of the event, including 24 Rotarians, 11 students from Fairview High School, District Attorney Michael Dougherty and DA staff, CU students with Students Demand Action, and staff from the YMCA of Northern Colorado, Boulder Community Health, and Boulder County.

This effort is part of a broader campaign to reduce gun-related incidents and ensure that firearms are kept out of the hands of unauthorized users, especially kids. Since 2022, our gun safe giveaway events have distributed nearly 1500 home safes, 1200 car safes, and over 1500 cable locks.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty said: “This was one of the best days ever. Our office vigorously prosecutes gun cases, fights for sensible reforms, and helps gun owners to secure their weapons. With the help of our incredible community partners, these gun safe giveaways allow us to respect one’s constitutional right to possess a firearm while enhancing the community’s ability to be safe from gun violence and mass shootings.”

Looking forward, another gun safe giveaway event is planned for Veteran’s Day at Roosevelt Community Park in Longmont from 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. Our community partners hope to continue these extraordinarily successful events and will be seeking additional financial support for the purchase of more safes.

For more information about gun safety resources, please visit the District Attorney’s Office Gun Safety website at https://bouldercounty.gov/district-attorney/gun-safety/