SALT LAKE CITY — The Center for Gun Violence Prevention, a local nonprofit and advocacy group, held its annual “Guns to Gardens” event Saturday, which aims to give gun owners a way to dispose of unwanted or damaged guns while also preventing guns from falling into the hands of dangerous people.
GVPC teamed up with RAWtools to host an event Saturday at First Baptist Church of Salt Lake City, where gun owners can bring in their unwanted guns to be repurposed as gardening tools.
“Gun violence continues to rise in Utah and is the number one cause of death among children. GVPC offers a peaceful alternative to remove unwanted guns from circulation,” said GVPC Board Chair Terry Gilfillan. “Our Guns to Gardens events are a safe, sustainable opportunity to dismantle unwanted guns and repurpose them into beautiful, usable gardening tools.”
The event aims to spread awareness about the potential dangers that can arise if guns are not properly disposed of.
The GVPC made clear that it does not violate people's right to own guns responsibly for “legitimate purposes,” but said it believes guns can pose “significant risks.”With gun violence in the United States at an all-time high, the group highlighted unintentional injury and death, suicide, theft and other misuse.
Donors were instructed to bring an unloaded gun in the trunk of their car to the church, and the church would give them a gift card as a thank you after their donation.
