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June 8 @ 2:00 am – 3:00 am
Wear Orange events honoring gun violence victims to be held June 7-9 in metro area
Metro area mayors have proclaimed Friday, June 7th National Gun Violence Awareness Day in our cities. National Gun Violence Awareness Day is an annual event that takes place on the first Friday in June, and marks the beginning of Wear Orange Weekend.
Many events are planned for the weekend and all metro residents are invited to participate:
- Wear Orange: For the tenth year, we invite everyone to #WearOrange on June 7, 2024, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and throughout Wear Orange Weekend June 7 – 9.
- Gather: A Wear Orange Event will be held from 2-3 p.m. on Saturday, June 8th to honor gun violence victims and to call for an end to gun violence. The event will be held outdoors at First Presbyterian Church-Moorhead, 2900 South 5th Street, Moorhead, MN. The event includes a reading of the Mayor’s Proclamation, inspirational messages, readings by various speakers, and refreshments.
- Read: Visit More Than Words in Moorhead, Downtown Fargo Public Library, the West Fargo Public Library and James Carlson Library in Fargo for recommended books about gun violence in the United States.
- Serve: To support individuals who have struggled with mental health issues, addiction and/or incarceration improve their circumstances reducing the likelihood that they’ll be impacted by gun violence, Wear Orange projects in Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, and Bismarck will be providing orange flowers and supplies to beautify the F5 Project’s transitional housing.
- Donate: F5 Project houses in Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot and Bismarck are in need of cleaning supplies, twin sheets, queen comforters and towels. Go to Facebook, search for Moms Demand Action – ND to use Amazon links for purchase and delivery.
- Meet at First Presbyterian in Moorhead, MN to make deliveries to F5 Project houses starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 8th.
- Light the Sky: We encourage all citizens to update a house, garage or building lightbulb to an orange lightbulb to demonstrate the value of lives impacted by gun violence. Please keep your orange lights up for the week of June 7th-June 14th.
- Lock Up: Be SMART and lock up any guns you own. Check with homes your children may visit to ensure their guns are locked.
Wear Orange events are organized by the local chapters of Moms Demand Action to End Gun Violence. Wear Orange originated on June 2, 2015 — what would have been Hadiya (Ha-dee-ya) Pendleton’s 18th birthday. It began with teenagers in Chicago, who wanted to honor their friend, Hadiya, after she was shot and killed. Today, 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 wounded and the countless others who are traumatized by acts of gun violence.
2023 was another deadly year for America’s gun violence epidemic, and in the first half of 2024, the impacts of this public health crisis have continued to devastate communities and families across the country. But as incidents of gun violence have grown, so too has the movement to stop it. We continue to educate, raise awareness, organize, advocate, and rally for safer communities. Together we can build a future free from gun violence.
New York gun violence prevention advocate Erica Ford spearheaded ‘orange as the color of peace’ through her work with her organization, Life Camp, Inc. The color orange has a long and proud history in the gun violence prevention movement. Whether worn by activists in New York, Hadiya’s loved ones in Chicago, or hunters in the woods of Minnesota or North Dakota to protect themselves and others, orange honors the victims and survivors of gun violence.
To take action, join or understand more statistics and information about gun violence in America, go to momsdemandaction.org. Survivor stories can be found at momentsthatsurvive.org.
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