Brady and Ad Council Announce Student Winners of First-Ever “End Family Fire” Scholarship Competition

Every day in the United States, eight kids are unintentionally injured or killed by “family fire,” a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun found in the home.  Brady and the Ad Council announced the winners of the first-ever End Family Fire Scholarship Competition. The winning videos, “You Told Me” and “Curiosity,” encourage gun owners to store firearms securely to help prevent these tragic incidents.

The grand prize winners are:

  • High school student Amelia Montagnino from Bethesda, Maryland (“You Told Me”)
  • College student Alexandra Franklin from Detroit, Michigan (“Curiosity”)

Each winner was awarded a $5,000 scholarship, and the Ad Council will distribute their winning videos nationally across a variety of channels including broadcast television and social media. In addition, the winning high school submission will be screened at the 2019 All-American High School Film Festival, which takes place October 11-13 in New York City.

“No matter how well you might think you’ve hidden your firearms, 75 percent of kids know exactly where to find guns stored in their homes,” said Kris Brown, President of Brady. “Keeping guns safely locked and secured is the best way to prevent family fire and keep our children safe at home. Many high school and college students are passionate about preventing gun violence, and we’re thrilled to invite them to join in our effort to End Family Fire.”

“We’re proud to provide these passionate and creative students with a national platform for this critical issue,” added Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “Through the power of communications, their amazing work will inspire families across the country to make their homes safer and put an end to family fire.”

Since launching one year ago, the End Family Fire campaign has already begun shifting national attitudes and behaviors about guns in the home by positioning safe gun storage as a public health issue. According to a June 2019 survey commissioned by the Ad Council and conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs:

  • 4 in 10 gun-owning parents in America (44%) are aware of the campaign
  • Those who are aware of the campaign are 2.5 times more likely to have sought information about safe gun storage in the past year (31% among those aware of the campaign versus 12% of those who are not)

The End Family Fire campaign is unique in that it brings gun owners into the conversation around gun violence, encouraging them to embrace safe storage practices and become part of the solution. 

Visit EndFamilyFire.org to learn more about how to make your home safer, and use #EndFamilyFire to join the conversation online.

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