Athens community forum on ending gun violence this Saturday at Ciné

This Saturday, at 12:30 p.m., and as part of Wear Orange Weekend and National Gun Violence Awareness Day, volunteers with Athens Moms Demand Action are hosting an awareness event at Ciné, 234 W. Hancock Ave.

The event is in partnership with the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, and it’s meant to honor the lives of those affected by gun violence and elevate gun violence prevention efforts nationwide.

The Athens event will include a screening of the documentary, "Us Kids," that follows the kids from the Parkland High School shooting. After, there will be a discussion panel with community partners.

The panel will include representatives from Mentoring Young Men, People Living in Recovery, Project Safe, and Sheats Social Services.

About Wear Orange

The Wear Orange campaign asks everyone in America who wants to end gun violence to do one simple thing on the first Friday in June, National Gun Violence Awareness Day: Wear Orange. The broad-based Wear Orange campaign was inspired by activists in Chicago and New York City. Orange is the color that Hadiya Pendleton’s friends wore in her honor when she was shot and killed in Chicago at the age of 15 in 2013. After her death, they asked us to stand up, speak out, and Wear Orange to raise awareness about gun violence. Since then, orange has been the defining color of the gun violence prevention movement.

New York City gun violence prevention advocates declared orange as the color of peace, and orange is the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. Communities across America will Wear Orange on June 7 for National Gun Violence Awareness Day and participate in events throughout Wear Orange Weekend on June 8 and 9. Those who Wear Orange promise to honor the more than 120 people shot and killed every day in America, as well as the hundreds more wounded and the countless others who are traumatized by acts of gun violence.