Rochester Reporter

Mayor Evans, County Executive Bello Proclaim June 7-9 Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Weekend

(Saturday, June 1, 2024) – Mayor Malik D. Evans and Monroe County Executive Adam J. Bello have proclaimed Friday, June 7 through Sunday, June 9 as Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Weekend in Rochester and Monroe County. This initiative aligns with a national movement to associate gun violence awareness with the color that hunters wear to protect human life. The event is recognized annually by communities across the country on the first Friday and weekend of June.

City and County leaders joined community members from ROC Against Gun Violence Coalition, Moms Demand Action, Rise Up Rochester, Pathways to Peace, the Rochester Peace Collective, and others dressed in orange on Saturday to read the joint proclamation. They also announced a citywide End Gun Violence pledge aimed at enhancing community collaborations against gun violence.

“The City of Rochester and the County of Monroe are committed to ending gun violence together with our law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal levels and our host of devoted community partners,” stated Mayor Evans and County Executive Bello in their joint proclamation. “We call on the people of Rochester and Monroe County to wear orange this weekend and to come together as one community to heal, offer comfort, promote gun safety, honor the lives lost to gun violence, and join the movement to abolish gun violence.”

The wear orange movement was initially conceived by classmates of Hadiya Pendelton of Chicago. Pendelton was shot and killed on a school playground one week after marching in President Barack Obama’s inauguration parade.

The ROC Against Gun Violence Coalition aims to end gun violence in Rochester by addressing its root causes and effects while promoting improved quality of life in local neighborhoods. The coalition comprises several community partners working towards this goal.

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a national grassroots advocacy agency with a chapter in Monroe County that has played a significant role in spreading this message nationwide.

Rise Up Rochester is a nonprofit organization that empowers communities to establish nonviolent cultures while providing support for crime victims and their families.

Pathways to Peace is a street-level team offering support and nonviolent alternatives for youth involved in or at risk of engaging in violent activities or gang-related behavior.

The City’s Pathways to Peace team works directly with youth to defuse potentially violent situations and guide them towards more positive life choices.

The Rochester Peace Collective directs investments into innovative programs aimed at preventing violent crime through collaboration with community-based organizations specializing in conflict resolution, youth development, re-entry programs, and violence prevention efforts.

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