New Broad-Based Coalition Announces June 2 as First-Ever National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Calls on Americans Nationwide to “Wear Orange”

By Robert Farago

Press release:

NEW YORK, May 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Today a broad coalition of leading organizations, cultural influencers, community members and activists unveiled “Wear Orange” (www.wearorange.org), a new campaign that will amplify existing efforts to reduce gun violence in America. To help honor the 88 Americans whose lives are cut short by gun violence every day — and the countless survivors whose lives are forever altered by shootings each year — the coalition has designated June 2, 2015 as the first annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day. On this day, campaign partners invite everyone who agrees we can do more to save American lives from gun violence to do one simple thing: Wear Orange . . .

The idea was inspired by a group of Chicago teens who asked their classmates to commemorate the life of a slain friend by wearing orange. They chose the color because hunters wear orange to announce themselves to other hunters when out in the woods. Their friend — Hadiya Pendleton, a 15 year old high school student — marched in President Obama’s 2nd inaugural parade and was tragically shot and killed back in Chicago just a week later. …read more

Source:: Truth About Guns