Friday, June 2nd is the 9th National Gun Violence Awareness Day. The proclamation was presented to Carol Satchell and Vita Larkin from Union County Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America during last week’s Township Committee meeting.
“We know that the gun violence that we see in the United States is a uniquely American problem and we know that there are evidence-based solutions that can prevent it. So that’s what the mission of our group is and we’d like to spread the word that all of us can get involved and do the work.”
Vita Larkin
Also National Gun Violence Awareness Day will be followed by Wear Orange Weekend on June 3rd-4th. To show support, raise awareness, and to honor those who have fallen victim to gun violence everyone is encouraged to wear orange. The movement was started in 2015 after high school student Hadiya Pendleton was shot on a playground in Chicago just one week after participating in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. Hadiya’s friends decided to commemorate her life by wearing orange, the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others.
Wear Orange is a nonpolitical, nonpartisan campaign which amplifies awareness for gun violence prevention. During #WearOrange, everyone who believes we can and must solve the problem of gun violence in America will take action and stand together in a bold statement of resilience and strength as we advance our efforts to prevent gun violence. More information can be found by clicking the link.
“It was an honor for us to do this. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your commitment and thank you for allowing us to give an opportunity to recognize how important this issue is to our community, to our families, and to the people we see every day. ”
Mayor Chris Capodice
