In a recent interview, we spoke with Leslie Washington, the local organizer of 'SEMO Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America'.
Locally, in Cape Girardeau County, the 2025 'Wear Orange' event will be held at Peace Park in Cape Girardeau on Friday, June 6, on National Gun Violence Awareness Day, where two survivors will share their stories. Area youth are also expected to give musical tributes, and a proclamation from the Cape Girardeau Mayor will be presented to the public.
The service project for the day will include collecting books for the Women In Action Summer Reading Program.
During the interview, Washington also discusses the impact of gun violence on mental health and the importance of community vigilance and reporting domestic violence, especially when it involves a firearm. She emphasizes the need for respecting boundaries when discussing personal experiences with gun violence.
According to the 'Wear Orange' website, the event honors Hadiya Pendleton, "and the 125 people shot and killed every day in the United States, along with the hundreds more who are wounded and the countless others whose lives have been changed by gun violence". The 'Wear Orange' event is part of the 'Everytown for Gun Safety' non-profit organization, which advocates for gun violence prevention.
This year, 'Wear Orange' weekend is observed nationally from June 6 to 8, and National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 6, 2025.
