A Henry Salute for Frank Shankwitz
Co-Founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Receives Limited Edition Henry
One of the highlights of our year is a presentation given by Henry President & Owner, Anthony Imperato on stage at the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits where he presents rifles to deserving individuals be they World War II heroes, first responders, responsibly armed citizens that used their training to prevent further tragedy or Medal of Honor recipients. This year, the event was scheduled to take place in beautiful Nashville, Tennessee, but the entire event was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the guests that we planned on attending this event with us were asked to stay home, but the show must go on! We sent all of the recipients the rifle they would have been awarded on stage, and we look forward to bringing you a series of posts here on The Henry Repeater blog to highlight all of them, starting with Mr. Frank Shankwitz!
Make-A-Wish Co-Founder, Frank Shankwitz, posing with his Henry Big Boy Deluxe Engraved 3rd Edition in the historic Palace Restaurant and Saloon on Whiskey Row in Prescott, Arizona.
If you’re not familiar with the name Frank Shankwitz, you are almost certainly familiar with the organization that he helped create- The Make-A-Wish Foundation. It was an interview with Mr. Shankwitz heard over the radio that sparked the idea to invite him to the event and present him with one of the most special rifles that we currently make, which is the Big Boy Deluxe Engraved 3rd Edition. Production for this rifle is limited to only 1,000 units for each caliber and Mr. Shankwitz opted for the venerable .45 Colt.
In addition to co-founding the non-profit organization that grants a wish to kids with critical illnesses every 35 minutes across the world on average, Frank Shankwitz has also received the prestigious President’s Call To Service Award. This award is given directly by the President of the United States (he received his from George W. Bush) to people who have volunteered over 4,000 hours of their lives to community service.
His work with children started back in 1972 in Arizona where he was a coach for the Special Olympics team. Later, in his time with the Arizona State Patrol, he was one of the main officers responsible for granting the wish of a 7-year-old boy who dreamed of being a Highway Patrol Motorcycle Officer. This child was made an honorary officer and was laid to rest in full uniform including a custom badge and a full police procession.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 with a simple mission:
Mr. Shankwitz has helped give strength and hope to countless lives and communities around the world, and we couldn’t be more honored to now have him as a part of the Henry family. He encompasses a selfless, community-driven type of person, and we should all aspire to open up our hearts and be just a bit more like Frank.
Frank, our hats are off to you, and we hope you enjoy the new rifle!
