Fort Mill, SC – The first-ever Gardens to Guns event held today in Fort Mill was met with positive community response as seven unwanted firearms were safely surrendered and destroyed. The anonymous firearm surrender, hosted at Grace Presbyterian Church (PC USA), saw volunteers dismantle the weapons on-site by sawing them into pieces.
Organizers reported that several participants indicated their surrendered firearms were inherited from family members and were no longer in safe working condition. Others donated firearms in remembrance of deceased loved ones. In a poignant moment, one woman, identifying herself as a survivor of a school shooting from her youth, expressed her gratitude to the volunteers and organizers for providing this community service.
The event resulted in the safe destruction of three shotguns and four pistols. Participants were offered gift cards as a token of appreciation for their participation, but the majority chose to decline the gesture.
The dismantled metal pieces from the surrendered firearms will now be sent to RAWtools South in Asheville, NC. This organization repurposes surrendered weapons into garden tools, jewelry, and other pieces of art. Proceeds from the sale of these items will be used to fund future Guns to Gardens events.
Guns to Gardens is a growing national movement that facilitates similar safe firearm surrender initiatives across the country. The concept has the endorsement of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and has been successfully replicated in communities nationwide.
The planning team for the Fort Mill event expressed their gratitude for a grant received from Providence Presbytery’s Peacekeeping Mission Fund, which helped to cover the cost of the offered gift cards. Further details about today’s event and Providence Presbytery’s Gun Violence Awareness Community can be found online.
