This Friday, June 6, Mayor Mary Ferdon and The City of Columbus invite residents to participate in National Gun Violence Awareness Day by wearing orange. This initiative seeks to honor victims and survivors of gun violence, stemming from a campaign launched in 2015 after the tragic death of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was killed by a stray bullet in Chicago. The color orange symbolizes a call for safety and a stand against gun violence.
Statistics highlight the urgency of this issue: every day, 125 individuals are killed by gun violence in the U.S., with Indiana recording 1,167 gun deaths annually, resulting in significant societal costs. This sobering context underlines the importance of community awareness and participation in the Wear Orange Campaign, encouraging all to make a statement for change. For more details about the campaign, visit wearorange.org.
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