Mayor Joseph P. Ganim
Bridgeport, CT
For Immediate Release For More information:
June 1, 2017 Dalmarys Matos (203) 576-7201
Dalmarys.matos@bridgeportct.gov
-Press Release-
Mayor Ganim Joins the “Wear Orange” Campaign by Declaring June 2nd National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Bridgeport
“Wear Orange” is Inspired by Chicago Teens Who Refused to Be Silent in the Face of Daily Gun Violence
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK6LBVJ5F_M
Bridgeport, CT –Mayor Ganim joins the Wear Orange campaign (www.WearOrange.org) by declaring June 2, 2017 National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the City of Bridgeport. “Wear Orange” honors and remembers all victims and survivors of gun violence to declare that we as a country must do more to reduce gun violence. The proclamation encourages all citizens to support their local communities’ efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence.
“Protecting public safety in the communities is a Mayor’s highest responsibility," said Mayor Ganim. "We have an obligation to bring awareness to the countless lives that are lost due to gun violence. This has been an ongoing battle and continued effort of mine since I was first in office. I wear orange to stand in solidarity with our country to fight against gun violence, and in our city, I ask everyone to join the cause to bring peace to our neighborhoods and help keep our children safe."
President of Everytown for Gun Safety and Mayors Against Illegal Guns John Feinblatt said, “As Americans unite around the #WearOrange message of safety and responsibility, we’re grateful to all the elected officials participating in National Gun Violence Awareness Day. This June 2nd, we look forward to millions more concerned citizens and community leaders standing up for a safer country along with us.”
Last year almost 200 mayors 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. And there will be more than 250 events commemorating the day nationwide. All events are searchable via an online map (available here) and easy to track the weekend of June 2nd by following the #WearOrange hashtag.
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 2nd, 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.
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