ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos, District 5 Denver City Councilmember Amanda Sawyer and Aurora At-Large Councilmember Curtis Gardner are partnering with RAWtools to host multiple gun buyback events in the Metro Denver area beginning mid-March.

The partnership will offer new opportunities to reduce gun violence in the Denver area, highlighted by eight buyback events. The first buyback event will take place at Mile High Monument at Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday, March 19, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. MT. There will be a sister event held at the same location later that day where a gun will be turned into a garden tool and community voices will share how their lives have been impacted by gun violence.

"It's important for me to speak about gun violence prevention because it's something I personally dealt with," Broncos wide receiver Diontae Spencer said. "My dad was killed due to gun violence, and it took me a while to talk about it because I had a lot of anger built up inside of me. Now I look at it as a great opportunity because it could help somebody. If we can educate ourselves and the next generation on how serious this issue is and how to prevent gun violence, then I feel like we can gain a positive outcome."

RAWtools was a nonprofit hand-selected by Broncos players to receive a grant through the team's Social Justice Fund, via the Broncos Inspire Change program, earlier this year. RAWtools is a gun violence prevention organization with a mission to "disarm hearts, forge peace, and cultivate justice." In addition to gun donation, RAWtools offers nonviolence workshops throughout the state of Colorado that focus on bystander intervention, de-escalation, restorative justice, and more.

Each buyback will be a drive-thru model, where participants must remain in their vehicle. Firearms are to be brought in the trunk or back seat of a vehicle and removed by a RAWtools representative to be disabled. Participants need to be sure to check that their firearm is unloaded prior to arriving to a buyback event. Ammunition will not be accepted. Unneeded gun cases and locks, however, will be accepted. Any donated gun locks will be redistributed to the community at a later time.

TO MAINTAIN ANONYMITY OF THOSE DONATING FIREARMS, PRESS IS NOT PERMITTED TO ATTEND ANY BUYBACK EVENT.

Details regarding pool photos from the first gun buyback event on Saturday, March 19, will be announced at a later date.

For more information about compensation rates and additional event locations, visit rawtools.org.

2022 Gun Buyback Event Locations

*National Gun Buyback Day