Mayor Bob Fox Declares June 7th Gun Violence Awareness Day

Mayor Bob Fox has proclaimed Friday, June 7 as Gun Violence Awareness Day in Cape Girardeau. At the May 20 City Council meeting, Mayor Fox presented proclamations to representatives of Stop Needless Acts of Violence Please, S.N.A.P. and the southeast Missouri chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America in recognition of the work these organizations do to make our communities safer from gun violence.

On Saturday, June 8 the two organizations are sponsoring the fourth annual Community Prayer March to End Gun Violence. The march begins at 9:00 a.m. at Indian Park, 300 William Street and ends at Ranney Park, 600 S. Ranney. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and participants are urged to park at Ranney and take a free shuttle to Indian Park. From 11-noon, there will be free food and a brief program.

Felice Patton began the Community Prayer March to raise awareness of gun violence in Cape Girardeau and southeast Missouri after her son, Quinton Combs, was murdered on November 15, 2015 at the 500 block of S. Fredrick Street, and his death spurred her to form the organization Stop Needless Acts of Violence Please-S.N.A.P.

The march is one of over 600 events around the country commemorating Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange weekend. Wear Orange Weekend was inspired by a group of teens from southside Chicago who asked their classmates to wear orange in remembrance of their murdered friend, Hadiya Pendleton. Pendleton, who was only fifteen years old, was shot and killed while at a local park with her friends. Her death occurred only one week after she had performed at events for President Obama's second inauguration. Hadiya’s friends wanted to honor her during her birth month, June, by speaking up and wearing orange-- the color that hunters wear to protect themselves in the woods. Wear Orange weekend has now developed into a national movement.

Visit wearorange.org to learn more and to RSVP to the Community Prayer March.