The Roswell ‘Wear Orange’ Events To Protest Gun Violence

ROSWELL, GA — Don’t be surprised to see a sea of orange shirts, shoes, socks and headbands in and around Roswell 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 near Roswell:

• ga-east cobb/roswell wear orange evening in roswell
• Gate City, 43 Magnolia St, Roswell
• Friday, June 7, 5:30 p.m.
• Join us on Canton St. in Roswell as we spread awareness throughout our community as we Wear Orange. Many local business/restaurants will be displaying Wear Orange signage and distributing orange lollipops and information to increase awareness to gun violence. We will wear our ORANGE and spread the news throughout the area while patronizing participating shops/restaurants. Meet in the parking lot in front of Gate City.
• georgia east cobb/roswell moms demand wear orange outreach weekend
• Riverside Park, 575 Riverside Rd, Roswell
• Saturday, June 8, 8 a.m.
• Our local group will focus on outreach and awareness for the 2019 Wear Orange. Help us spread the word on the effort to reduce gun violence by delivering displays to local restaurants and shops in Old Roswell, greeting people in Riverside Park and delivering care packages to local religious organizations. We will have several shifts throughout the weekend. Weather Update: Due to inclement weather predicted, we are asking all participants to simply patronize the restaurants/shops in Old Roswell that are partnering with us throughout the weekend. They will have Wear Orange displays in their establishments. A list will also be distributed.
• ga- east cobb/roswell wear orange outreach weekend
• Riverside Park, 575 Riverside Rd, Roswell
• Sunday, June 9, 10 a.m.
• Joins Moms Demand volunteers to spread awareness on how to end gun violence by joining us for the Wear Orange weekend event in Old Roswell and Riverside Park. We'll wear orange, distribute displays and hand out information to all interested passersby. We will also deliver special items to local religious institutions.

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.