CARBONDALE – Southern Illinois Moms Demand Action and the City of Carbondale aim to increase awareness for National Gun Violence Awareness Day with Wear Orange Weekend activities happening Friday and Saturday.

Friday at 6 p.m. at the Carbondale Civic Center, Mayor Harvey will read a proclamation recognizing the first Friday in June as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the City of Carbondale.

The “Loving Yourself through Trauma” workshop will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at 1st Presbyterian Carbondale. The weekend will conclude with a special Wear Orange community event at the Carbondale Town Square Pavilion happening Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. Attendees will enjoy music, SICCD contra dancing, and tabling. All events are free and open to the public.

Moms Demand Action is a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. The Wear Orange national campaign began as a way to show support for victims and survivors of gun violence following the tragic death of Hadiya Pendleton in 2013. The color orange represents the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves from others. The first Friday in June marks National Gun Violence Awareness Day for the nation and for the City of Carbondale. Wear Orange Weekend encourages residents throughout the region to wear orange to honor survivors and build community with those working to end gun violence from June 7 through June 9.

For more information about 2024 Wear Orange Weekend event, please visit Southern Illinois Moms Demand Action on Facebook or email Joan Otte at momsdemandactionjane@gmail.com. Learn more about the mission of goals of Moms Demand Action by visiting https://momsdemandaction.org.