Country Music Artist Mark Wills to Return to 2010 MidwayUSA / NRA Bianchi Cup
FAIRFAX, VA –-(AmmoLand.com)- Chart-topping country performer Mark Wills plans to once again compete in the MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup, in Columbia, Missouri, May 26-29, 2010.
Wills plans to continue using his Springfield 1911 and Safariland Holster at the match. “I really enjoyed competing with the finest pistol shooters in the world,” Wills said. “I had a blast and I am looking forward to seeing all my friends.”
Joining Wills in the NRA Bianchi Cup Pro-Am match will be other celebrities, pros and industry shooters looking to test their mettle against one another.
Mark Wills is a multi-platinum selling country music star with eight Top 10 hits, including “Don’t Laugh At Me” and“Wish You Were Here,” and has received nominations by the Country Music Association for Single, Song and Video of the Year.
Winner of Country Music’s award for Top New Male Vocalist, Wills’ single “19 Somethin’” spent six weeks at No. 1 in 2002 and was named by Billboard Magazine as the 2nd most played country hit of the 2000 decade. Wills is involved with the Children’s Miracle Network, who receive a portion of the proceeds from sales of his most recent CD Familiar Stranger. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Kelly and their two daughters.
Wills will host the upcoming 3-Gun Nation TV show on the Versus Network this summer. He has performed for our military both in the US and overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. Wills donates proceeds from his greatest hits record, 2nd Time Around, to USA Cares, an organization supporting wounded military veterans.
Since its inception in 1979, the NRA Bianchi Cup has retained its original course of fire, consisting of four matches: Practical, Barricade, Moving Target and Falling Plates. Speed and accuracy are the keys to winning the Championship. Each event is timed and is worth 480 points, equaling a total of 1920 possible points.
Action pistol competitors are permitted to use a two-handed grip, and competitors must start with their guns holstered. During the course of the matches, participants fire at turning cardboard silhouette targets, moving targets, and steel plates that must be knocked down to count as a hit. This fast-paced style of competition has recently seen a growth in the number of spectators attending the competition.
The NRA National Action Pistol Championship is a money-winning event. Over $300,000 in cash and prizes were featured in 2009.
For more information on the 2010 MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup, or the NRA Action Shooting Program, contact Damien Orsinger at 703-267-1478, or by email bianchicup@nrahq.org.
For more information on NRA Competitive Shooting Sponsorships, please visit www.nrasportsponsors.com or contact Woody Arenas in the NRA Competitive Shooting Division at 703-267-1469 or by email, warenas@nrahq.org.
For more information about Mark Wills, visit www.markwills.com.