By Amy B Wang The Republic | azcentral.com Wed May 8, 2013 10:25 PM

The first of three planned gun-buyback events in Phoenix drew so much interest that it nearly exhausted the program’s funding, forcing organizers to scale back the two remaining buyback dates.

The Saturday gun buyback, held at three churches across the city, netted 803 weapons: 442 handguns, 162 shotguns, 198 rifles and one assault rifle, according to Phoenix police.

Those who turned in guns received Bashas’ grocery gift cards: $100 cards for handguns, shotguns and rifles; $200 cards for assault weapons.

Based on those calculations, police last weekend distributed $80,400 in gift cards — the bulk of a $100,000 anonymous donation that funded the program, a partnership between Phoenix police and the non-profit Arizonans for Gun Safety.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20130508phoenix-gun-buyback-success-officials-say.html