A Gun Violence Awareness observance was held at the Holyoke City Hall on Monday June 3, at 2 p.m. , with the public participating in talking about gun violence Anne Thalheimer, area representative for Wear Orange and a survivor of gun violence when she was a college student, is the organizer.

The program will include statements from individuals whose lives have been affected by gun violence, and the reading of a proclamation by Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia.  Individuals who would like to have their loved ones’ names recognized at this event should reach out to the Mayor’s Office (413-561-1600). Orange has been the defining color of the gun violence prevention movement nationwide. It is the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others.

In January of 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, was killed in Chicago at the age of 15 one week after performing at President Obama’s second inaugural parade in 2013. Friends of Hadiya wore orange in her honor. According to the Wear Orange website, more than 120 people are shot and killed — and hundreds more are wounded — every day in America. More on gun violence and the recent killings in Springfield and Holyoke were covered by MassLive: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2024/06/monday-forum-in-holyoke-reckons-with-real-human-cost-of-gun-violence.html