THIS WEEK FOR NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY, “WEAR ORANGE” CAMPAIGN
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
"Wear Orange" Inspired by Chicago Teens Who Refused to Be Silent in the Face of Daily Gun Violence; Events Happening in Collingswood, Camden and Haddonfield
HADDONFIELD, N.J.— On June 2, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, more than 400 influencers, corporations, mayors, partner organizations and a series of iconic landmarks across the country will participate in the Wear Orange campaign. Wear Orange campaign elements in New Jersey noted below.
● Skylines and key buildings nationwide will begin turning orange on June 1 - the start of Gun Violence Awareness Month - including the Empire State Building. Key landmarks in New Jersey turning orange include Camden City Hall, the Ben Franklin Bridge, City Fountain in Collingswood and Borough Hall in Haddonfield.
● New Jersey-based Cure4Camden and Center for Family Services joined the more than 150 partners on board to Wear Orange on June 2. A full list of current partners can be found here.
● New Jersey mayors including Mayor Maley (Collingswood), Mayor Redd (Camden) and Mayor Rochford (Haddonfield) joined the more than 100 mayors nationwide participating in the Wear Orange campaign this year.
● More than 250 Wear Orange events will take place across the country the weekend of June 2. All events are searchable via an online map (available here) and easy to track by following the #WearOrange hashtag.
● These events will bring communities together to showcase the full creativity of Wear Orange supporters from concerts to picnics in the park to orange walks to meeting at local landmarks as they turn orange. Wear Orange events are happening starting Friday through the weekend in honor of National Gun Violence Awareness in New Jersey, including Collingswood, Camden and Haddonfield. Specific event details noted below.
Collingswood
WHAT: Public Proclamation of June 2 as Gun Violence Awareness Day in Collingswood
WHO: Collingswood Mayor Jim Maley
WHERE: Collingswood Town Clock, 753 Haddon Avenue Collingswood
WHEN: Thursday June 1 at 7:30 AM
**Shirley Conroy, [email protected]
Haddonfield
WHAT: Public Proclamation of June 2 as Gun Violence Awareness Day in Haddonfield
WHO:
· Haddonfield Mayor Neal Rochford
· The Haddonfield Board of Commissioners
WHERE: Haddonfield Borough Hall, Kings Highway, 242 Kings Highway East
WHEN: Friday, June 2 at 7:30 PM
**Shani Nuckols, [email protected]
Camden
WHAT: Walk for Peace and Wear Orange Camden Community Gathering
WHO:
· Camden Mayor Dana L. Redd
· Council President Francisco Moran
WHERE: Dudley Grange Park, 3101 Federal Street
WHEN: Friday, June 2, 5:00 – 8:00 PM
**Meghan Adamoli, [email protected]
“It’s truly incredible to watch this movement grow year after year - it has morphed from a moment my friends and I dreamed up to honor Hadiya to a national movement, with events in every state,” said Nza-Ari Khepra, founder of Project Orange Tree and co-creator of Wear Orange. “I’m so grateful to the thousands of Americans who will turn out to turn their communities orange this weekend. Their passion for saving lives from gun violence inspires me to keep going and demanding change.”
Wear Orange was inspired by friends of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old Chicago high school student killed by gunfire, who decided to honor her life by wearing orange – the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. That idea spread quickly and now every year on June 2 - which was Hadiya’s birthday and is now National Gun Violence Awareness Day - Americans across the country Wear Orange and stand united against gun violence.
Last year more than 300 noteworthy individuals and organizations, including President Obama, Julianne Moore, Kim Kardashian West, Vogue and Viacom answered the call, making their support for the movement loud and clear. And across the country, nearly 250,000 people took action online and in person at events. This year promises to reach much, much further—the skyline is the limit. Landmarks across the country – including the Empire State Building and Niagara Falls – will go orange in support of National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Full details on Wear Orange 2017 are available here.
About Wear Orange
In 2013, a small group of teens at a South Side Chicago high school asked their classmates to honor the life of their murdered friend Hadiya Pendleton by wearing orange – the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others and a color that reflects the value of human life. They inspired the Wear Orange campaign (wearorange.org), a coalition of more than 300 non-profits, cultural influencers and elected officials working to reduce gun violence in America. Spearheaded by Everytown for Gun Safety, the campaign asks Americans who believe we can do more to save lives from gun violence to do one simple thing on June 2, National Gun Violence Awareness Day: Wear Orange. Those who wear orange pledge to honor the lives of Americans stolen by gun violence, to help keep firearms out of dangerous hands and to protect our children from gun violence. Wear Orange has already reached millions of people worldwide and is fast becoming the symbol of the gun violence prevention movement.