In an unusual year involving a global pandemic and unprecedented conversations on racial justice, the conversation on gun violence in the US was put on the back burner. Meanwhile, the demand for gun ammo increased, causing a spike in sales and scarcity in the marketplace. Despite this, the National Rifle Association (NRA) saw this as an opportunity to issue a tweet during the holidays asking @Santa for ammo in exchange for cookies.

Little did they know that this would tee up Change the Ref to reignite a conversation on gun violence, helping the issue come back into the national conversation. Change the Ref launched #OneCookiePerKid, utilizing the NRA’s “holiday-themed” tweet to issue a poignant response that promised to get them their cookies for Santa.

Change the Ref, along with a groundswell of activists, quickly and efficiently baked 1,700 bullet-riddled gingerbread cookies in the shape of kids to send to the NRA’s headquarters, one for each young life lost due to gun violence each year. Activist organizations such as Guns Down America and Parkland shooting survivor and March for Our Lives founder David Hogg quickly joined in, helping to not only amplify the message across social and news media, but to also bake cookies themselves.

Change the Ref made good on the delivery of the grim snacks to the NRA headquarters in Virginia, just in time for them to leave the cookies for Santa and bring the issue back into national conversation. Our response was covered and amplified by the media, quickly turning into a movement that reignited the anti-gun violence conversation and the need for gun reform in America.

- Surpassed 65 million impressions through national and global media coverage. More than double the anticipated amount.

- By all measures, we “went viral” with young adults on TikTok, delivering 472,000 views and 38% engagement despite having an audience of just 14k.

- Top anti-gun violence activists David Hogg & Guns Down America amplified the message and joined the effort to bake bullet-ridden gingerbread boys and girls.

- Along with our 1,700 cookies, over 19,000 cookies more were sent to the NRA from all over the country by supporters of our movement.