Annual Gun Turn-In
To dispose of a gun right now, please go to our Year-Round Gun Turn-In page.
The Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation hosts an Annual Gun Turn-In to provide a place where gun owners can dispose of unwanted firearms. For each firearm turned in, residents receive a merchandise certificate. With the advertising for this event, we raise awareness of the risks and responsibilities of gun ownership, including the importance of safe storage.
Our Next Gun Turn-In Has Been Put on Hold
After a 15-year run operating annual gun turn-ins, the Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation (COEF) has had to put the next gun turn-in on hold. Like most nonprofit groups, COEF is experiencing a decline in donations. At the same time, we face an increased demand for the service that our turn-in provides, as we saw at our last turn-in, on Nov. 1, 2008, when we ran out of gift certificates and funds before we could “buy back” everyone’s guns, causing many people to take their guns back home.
We must raise at least $35,000 to buy the gift certificates necessary to accommodate the minimum estimated demand for the next turn-in. The COEF board of directors and volunteers continue to pursue creative partnerships and funding to make the turn-in happen, but for now it doesn't look possible to stage a gun turn-in by year’s end.
Please continue to support this much-needed effort, realizing that it may take two years for us to amass the necessary funds. To use credit card online to donate money to "buy back" guns, please click here. Or you can send us a check via U.S. mail to this address:
Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation
7327 SW Barnes Road, #316
Portland, OR 97225
Thank you for your support.
Our Nov. 1, 2008, Gun Turn-In
Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation (COEF) board members were amazed and pleased at the turnout for its last gun turn-in, held on Nov. 1, 2008, on SE 92nd (near Woodstock) in Portland. Residents turned in 424 firearms to police officers at that time, a substantial increase over the past few years. The response was due in large part to the publicity generated by our partners: KPTV Channel 12 and the Lents Neighborhood Association.
Unfortunately, we were only prepared to award three hundred $75 Fred Meyer certificates. Too many people went away disappointed and angry and frustrated that the certificates were gone. We are so very sorry that this happened. Some citizens drove many miles, only to be turned away disappointed. Some citizens planned for the certificate to help with food purchases.
We simply didn't anticipate that so many people would turn in guns on November 1. Here are a few facts that led to our purchasing too few certificates:
- In each of the last five turn-ins (we had two turn-ins in 2007), we received 95 to 124 guns per turn-in. Even with the increased publicity from Channel 12, we couldn't have predicted the enormous response this year.
- Gun turn-in events have been held annually since 1994, and until this year, we have always been able to meet the demand for certificates. We were lulled into thinking that our luck would hold.
- We have to purchase the gift certificates from Fred Meyer. They are not donated. We work hard all year to gather the funds necessary to purchase the certificates.
- We spent down our funds this year to buy the three hundred certificates. "The cupboard was and is bare."
If you were one of the people who arrived at the turn-in site only to be told that there were no more certificates, please accept our sincere regret.
If you would like to donate money so we can “buy back” more guns in the future, please send a check to the Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation, 7327 SW Barnes Road #316, Portland, OR 97225. Or you can donate online using your credit card: please click here.
Please watch this website for news of the next turn-in.
Number of guns turned in at Ceasefire's annual turn-ins:
1994: 600
1995: 300
1996: 689
1997: 907
1998: 1069
1999: 692
2000: 692
2001: 504
2002: 365
2003: 356
2004: 115
2005: 95
2006: 108
2007: 245
2008: 424
TOTAL: 7,161
What is the difference between the Annual Gun Turn-In and the Year-Round Gun Turn-In? The Annual Gun Turn-In is held at a specific site on a specific day, and each person who turns in a gun receives a merchandise certificate. Under the Year-Round Gun Turn-In, the person with the gun contacts a law enforcement officer to arrange to turn in the gun, and no certificates are provided in return.
Reasons to turn in a firearm:
• Young, lively, curious children are at your home.
• Someone in your family or a friend or neighbor is suffering from depression.
• The firearm cannot be properly stored.
• The gun was left by an earlier occupant of the house.
• You can't guarantee that someone else won't get the gun.
• You want to do something to reduce the number of gun accidents, suicides, and homicides.
• You understand that a gun in the home is much more likely to kill or injure a family member or friend than it is to protect you.
• You would rather have a gift certificate than the gun.