The DC ‘Wear Orange’ Events To Protest Gun Violence

Don’t be surprised to see a sea of orange shirts, shoes, socks and headbands in D.C. this weekend. Nearly 750 grassroots events are planned nationwide from Friday through Sunday to call for an end to gun violence.

The so-called “Wear Orange 2019” campaign events are part of the fifth annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 7. Here are the details of the organized events in D.C.:

DC - Tree Planting #3 w/ Alliance of Concerned Men & Momma's Safe Haven
Alliance of Concerned Men
3227 Dubois Pl SE
Washington, DC 20019

When: Sunday, June 9, 4:00 PM

"Please join us as we plant a tree in honor of Elwood Yango Sawyer, a leader and hero in DC for youth and returning citizens. This event is part of Wear Orange - Gun Violence Awareness weekend https://wearorange.org/

DC - Wear Orange Picnic
Hains Point
2301 OHIO Dr SW
Washington, DC 20024

When: Saturday, June 8, 4:00 PM

"Moms Demand Action commemorates Gun Violence Awareness weekend every June with Wear Orange. https://wearorange.org/about/ This year here in DC we are planning to have a big picnic where we will honor gun violence survivors & victims, as well as come together as friends with food and fun- including yoga, bubbles, chalk, face paint, kites, beanbag toss, croquet, giant jenga, and frisbees! We are proud to be partnering with so many wonderful organizations on this event: Alliance of Concerned Men, Momma’s Safe Haven, ONSE, NAARC, Cure the Streets, PSA702 Outreach Committee, The W.I.R.E., TraRon Center, 100 Fathers Inc., Domestic Violence Wears Many Tags, Serve Your City, Coalition of Concerned Mothers, Our Generation's Missing Piece, March for Our Lives DC, Black Women for Positive Change, and more being added every day! Open to the public, kid friendly, all are welcome! Please rsvp so we have an accurate count for food."

DC - Bullet melting & screen printing celebration
Talbert
1213 Talbert St SE
Washington, DC 20020

When: Friday, June 7, 6:00 PM

"Please join us for a special evening to start off #WearOrange weekend. We will come together to socialize and have refreshments, while we watch as artists melt bullets down to become bells, and screen print #WearOrange tote bags!"

DC - Wear Orange tree planting #5 & #6 with Our Generation's Missing Piece, The W.I.R.E. & Shaheera Sheikh
Talbert
1213 Talbert St SE
Washington, DC 20020

When: Sunday, June 9, 6:00 PM

"Please join us to dedicate trees in memory of Eric Weaver Jr. and Sabika Sheikh. Eric had turned his life around and was making a difference in his community: https://tinyurl.com/y5lsv7fu Sabika, a Pakistani exchange student, had embraced American life and aspired to become a diplomat: https://tinyurl.com/y24yx72p They are both deeply mourned by their family, friends, and communities. This event is part of Wear Orange, Gun Violence Awareness weekend https://wearorange.org/ We #HonorWithAction"

DC - Wear Orange tree planting #4 in memory of Javone & Taquan Smith
Private Residence
TBA
Washington, DC 20019

When: Sunday, June 9, 5:00 PM

"Please join us as we plant a tree in memory of Javone and Taquan Smith who both lost their lives to gun violence in 2018. This event is part of Wear Orange - Gun Violence Awareness weekend https://wearorange.org/ We #HonorWithAction"

DC - Lighting of the National Cathedral for Wear Orange Vigil
Washington National Cathedral
3101 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20016

When: Friday, June 7, 8:00 PM

"The façade of the Washington National Cathedral will light up in orange at 8 pm on June 7, in honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Hadiya Pendleton and the over 100,000 Americans killed and injured in the United States every year by gun violence. The Bourdon Bell will ring 109 times at 9 pm in memory of Americans who die daily from gunfire. We hope you will join with others at the Cathedral for this quiet, respectful and powerful event at which you can remember and honor those who have died and reflect on the reason why the Cathedral and so many other buildings and people across the country are wearing orange. The Cathedral is located at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., less than a block from the intersection of Wisconsin and Massachusetts Avenues. Above-ground parking is available."

More than 100 Americans are killed with guns every day, according to the organization, and guns are the second-leading cause of death for American children. The events, dedicated to honoring victims of gun violence, are meant to elevate the “voice of every American who demands an end to gun violence” throughout the weekend.

Organizers chose the color orange in honor of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was gunned down in Chicago a week after performing at President Barack Obama’s second inaugural parade in 2013. Pendleton’s friends wore orange in her honor.

Gun safety advocates are spearheading the effort, which has attracted brand partners including Levi Strauss & Co. and Dick’s Sporting Goods, as well as celebrities including Julianne Morre, Laura Dern and Keegan-Michael Key. Other cultural influencers and more than 200 mayors plan to partake, as well as Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.

Dozens of large events are planned in cities such as Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, South Bend, Tampa and Washington, D.C., organizers said. Moreover, major landmarks and retail stores plan to turn orange as well, including the famed Empire State Building in New York City.

The event comes days after 12 people were killed in a mass shooting at Virginia Beach Municipal Center. As Patch previously reported, mass shootings have become commonplace in America. The Virginia shooting was one of 156 mass shootings as of Monday, which marked just the 154th day of the year. Shootings can only be eligible for the database if at least four people are shot or killed, excluding the gunman.

Americans make up just 4.4 percent of the world's population but own 42 percent of the world's guns, according to a 2016 study by Adam Lankford, an associate criminology and criminal justice professor at the University of Alabama.

Lankford told Patch this week that about 31 percent of all public mass shooters attack in America. If mass shootings were evenly distributed, that number would be closer to 5 percent or less, he said.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.