‘Guns to garden tools’ firearm disposal event planned

Owners of unwanted firearms will have a chance to see how they can be turned into garden tools, art and jewelry at a free “Guns to Gardens” event on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Hosted by McGregor Presbyterian Church and Rawtools South, the event is part of a national faith-based movement to support safe disposal of unwanted firearms and protect children from gun violence.

Donors may bring their guns for disposal between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the church, located at 6505 St. Andrews Road in Columbia. Donors will stay in their vehicles during the gun dismantling process and will remain anonymous.

Trained volunteers will accept the unwanted firearms and dismantle them on-site using chop saws while the donor is present.

Guns must be unloaded and placed in the trunk or rear of the vehicle for volunteers to remove. Ammunition will not be accepted.

For each gun donated, donors will receive a Walmart gift card while they last.

At 3 p.m., the public is invited to a prayer vigil. A blacksmith from Rawtools South will demonstrate how the dismantled pieces are transformed into garden tools, art and jewelry. Finished pieces will be available for sale.

Rawtools South is a group of volunteer blacksmiths based in Asheville, North Carolina, that repurposes firearms to further the group’s mission of “disarming hearts, forging peace and cultivating justice.”