~ Today, Mayor Malik D. Evans and County Executive Adam Bello proclaimed this weekend as Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Weekend in Rochester and Monroe County. The proclamation was read by dozens of orange-clad members of the Rochester Peace Collective and the Roc Against Gun Violence Coalition, who are joining a national movement to associate gun violence with the orange color hunters wear to protect human life.

The City-County Proclamation stated that the City of Rochester and County of Monroe are committed to ending gun violence with the support of law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels; and a host of community partners, including the ROC Against Gun Violence Coalition and the Rochester Peace Collective. The proclamation also called on people of Rochester and Monroe County to wear orange in order to come together as one community to heal, offer comfort and support, and join the movement to make gun violence a thing of the past.

The wear-orange movement was initially conceived by classmates of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendelton from Chicago, who was shot and killed on a school playground one week after marching in President Barack Obama's inauguration parade. Since then, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a national grass-roots advocacy agency with a chapter in Monroe County has played a leading role in promoting this message across the country.

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In honor of Hadiya Pendelton's 26th birthday today, members of the ROC Against Gun Violence Coalition and the Rochester Peace Collective are hosting several events throughout June including Cameron Community 9th Annual Peace Walk on Friday June 2nd from 5 to 6:30 p.m., Center for Youth Fashion Week on Friday June 2nd at 7 p.m., In-Person Faith Leaders Summit on Gun Violence on Tuesday June 13th from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pathways to Peace BBQs on Friday June 16th from 5 to 8 p.m., Fatherhood Connection Father's Day Breakfast on Sunday June 18th from 10 a.m. to noon, Hope Initiatives Workforce Trainee on Friday June 23rd from 9 to 5 p.m..

The ROC Against Gun Violence Coalition seeks to end gun violence in Rochester by bringing attention to its causes and effects while promoting quality of life in Rochester's neighborhoods through education, advocacy, and eradication efforts. The Rochester Peace Collective works towards preventing violent crime by collaborating with community-based organizations and agencies working in re-entry programs as well as violence prevention initiatives.

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