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Civic leaders, community organizers, local advocates and residents gathered at Lions Wayside Park in downtown Pleasanton last Saturday (June 8) in a show of support for Wear Orange Weekend to raise awareness about gun violence and prevention initiatives.
Hosted by the Livermore Valley chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, the event featured guest speakers, resource tables with information on violence intervention, mental health support and suicide prevention, and activities for adults and children including “Chalk About Gun Violence” where people wrote gun safety messages on the sidewalk, according to organizers.
“We wear orange in honor of Hadiya Pendleton and the 120 Americans who are shot and killed, and the hundreds more who are wounded and traumatized by gunfire every single day, ” Janie Dobbs, local group lead for the Livermore Valley Moms Demand Action, said in a press release.
Keynote speakers included State Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Pleasanton Vice Mayor Julie Testa and Golden State Road Warriors’ wheelchair basketball player Kenny Johnson, who is a survivor of gun injuries and an inspirational presenter for the nonprofit Life Goes On Foundation.
Dozens of people attended the event last weekend, many donning bright orange clothes and accessories — the adopted color of the gun violence awareness movement — and even enjoying some orange refreshments set out by the group and its volunteers, organizers said.
