This weekend, gun violence survivors, advocates, and elected officials across the nation are marking ten years of Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange weekend.
There are more than 300 Wear Orange events scheduled this weekend, including in San Antonio.
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Big Mama’s Safehouse will organize a community event at Phillis Wheatley Park this Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Wear Orange Weekend is a national campaign that demands a future without gun violence.
National Gun Violence Day is an annual event that takes place on the first Friday in June and marks the beginning of Wear Orange Weekend. We wear orange to honor survivors and those affected by gun violence.
— University Health (@UnivHealthSA) June 7, 2024
Together, we can end gun violence. 🧡#wearorange pic.twitter.com/b8w8hgCjcp
Wear Orange Weekend originated in 2015 after the murder of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton. She was shot and killed while standing with her friends at a Harsh Park playground in Kenwood, Chicago. The cause of the shooting was the result of a mistaken gang rivalry.
Her mother, Cleopatra Cowley, made a statement to commemorate ten years: “Like so many parents across the nation, my family has had to live with the reality of having our children’s lives stolen by gun violence. During Wear Orange we honor all these stolen lives by our nation’s gun violence crisis.”
Wear Orange honors the more than 120 people who are shot and killed every day in the United States. Advocates are calling for the end of gun violence including mass shootings, firearm suicide, police shootings, domestic violence and more.
