BLOOMINGTON – The City of Bloomington invites the community to observe National Gun Violence Awareness Day on Friday, June 2, and join in events raising awareness about gun violence during Wear Orange weekend.
The Wear Orange movement originated on June 2, 2015, which would have been the 18th birthday of Hadiya Pendleton, who just one week after performing at President Obama’s 2013 second inaugural parade was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. Hadiya was 15.
Following Hadiya’s friends’ choice of color for the first demonstration, gun sense activists around the country now wear orange annually on National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and continue to do so through the accompanying weekend, known as “Wear Orange Weekend.”
Bloomington residents and visitors are invited to stop by Monroe County Courthouse lawn at 100 West Kirkwood Avenue on Saturday, June 3 starting at 4 p.m. where community members will honor victims of gun violence. The event includes raising awareness about gun violence and honoring gun violence survivors in the community. Hear from community leaders, survivors, and friends about the impact of gun violence.
Additional information is available at wearorange.org.
