John,

Every day without my sweet little Daniel is hard – but days like Father’s Day are the hardest.

Daniel’s absence – his empty chair at the kitchen table – is just that much more evident.

In the first few years after Daniel was murdered, days like tomorrow all melted together. It was a day-by-day, hour-by-hour process of managing my grief and trying not to let it consume me – all while trying to be the best dad I could be to my surviving children, James and Natalie.

I can’t tell anyone else how to navigate a Father’s Day without their child – especially those who are separated from their loved ones during this difficult time of social distancing. All I can say to them is that I’m so sorry. They just have to get through it the best they can and connect with those who love them however possible.

That’s why this year, it’s so important to me that fathers whose children were murdered like Daniel know that I'm sending my love and support their way – along with a promise that I’m trying my best to prevent it from happening to another family. John, it would mean so much if you’d join me in sending that message of support by tomorrow. Will you please sign our Father’s Day card now?

Please click here to sign Sandy Hook Promise’s Father’s Day card to send your support and promise for action to all the fathers whose children have been killed by gun violence.

Life without my sweet little Daniel will never get easier, but every memory I have of him burns bright in my heart and mind. Daniel was a light that can never be dimmed, and I put all my energy into this work to honor his too-short life.

I owe it to him and to other families to prevent more tragedies from happening so other dads won’t have to reckon with a Father’s Day without their child because of gun violence. That’s why I’m so grateful for your support – it means so much, especially on Father's Day.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)