Gun Safety Advocates, Survivors, Elected Leaders and More Gather At More Than 300 Events Across the United States to Honor Victims and Survivors of Gun Violence
For the tenth year, countless people across the United States joined together for National Gun Violence Awareness Day to wear orange, honor survivors of gun violence, and demand a future free from gun violence. More than 300 #WearOrange events across the country featured Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers, gun violence survivors, other gun safety advocates, elected leaders, community partners and more who gathered to honor the lives of those affected by gun violence and connect people with ways they can help to end gun violence in their communities.
In addition to events, a coalition of cultural influencers, elected officials, nonprofit partner organizations and a series of buildings, billboards and landmarks joined advocates to honor National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange weekend. More than 70 professional sports teams and countless athletes participated in the campaign in some way, highlighted by
- Dozens of individual athletes including Natasha Cloud, Alejandro Bedoya, Aaron Donald, Meghan Klingenberg, Brandon Short, and Joakim Noah met with survivors, participated in or convened community events, or raised awareness with messaging.
- The Washington Mystics, Phoenix Mercury, New York Liberty, Connecticut Sun, Oakland A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, San Diego Wave, and Portland Thorns all hosted gun violence survivors, volunteers, and community activists at their Wear Orange home games.
- The players of the WNBPA wore bespoke Wear Orange t-shirts pre-game throughout the weekend.
- The 49ers, Giants, Sharks, and Warriors, collaborated on a #BayAreaUnite PSA, the Seattle Seahawks sponsored a gun violence prevention conference, and the Detroit Pistons Youth Council participated in a PSA
For more details, visit Everytown for Gun Safety’s press release HERE:
Orange originated on June 2, 2015 — what would have been Hadiya Pendleton’s 18th birthday.
It began with teenagers who wanted to honor their friend, Hadiya, after she was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago a little over one week after marching as a majorette in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. Now, Wear Orange honors Hadiya and the more than 120 people shot and killed every day in the United States, as well as the hundreds more who are shot and wounded and the countless others who are traumatized by acts of gun violence. Advocates across the country will unite to call for an end to all forms of gun violence, including domestic violence, firearm suicide, mass shootings, police shootings, city gun violence, and more.