John,
Eight years ago—and less than a week after performing at President Obama's second inauguration—our 15-year-old daughter Hadiya was shot and killed. Her death left us—and her friends—devastated.
When Hadiya's friends launched Project Orange Tree to honor her life and raise awareness about gun violence in their community, they asked all of us to wear orange to honor Hadiya and the hundreds of people in the United States killed and wounded by gun violence every day. They chose orange because hunters wear the color to warn other hunters not to shoot.
June 2, 2015 would have been Hadiya's 18th birthday. Instead, it was the very first National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which we now commemorate the first Friday of every June as the start of Wear Orange Weekend.
This weekend, we'll be coming together with people from across the country to honor those who have been killed or forever changed by gun violence. And John, the gun violence crisis only continued to get worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. We need you with us this weekend to Wear Orange and demand action that will save lives.
Join us in honoring Hadiya and so many more people shot and killed or wounded by gun violence by attending a virtual Wear Orange Weekend event in your community.
Today would have been Hadiya's 24th birthday. Because no parent should experience the pain and heartbreak we endure every single day, we've dedicated our lives to the fight against gun violence by founding Hadiya's Promise, a gun violence reduction 501c3 tax deductible organization. John, please Wear Orange on June 4, and join one of the hundreds of events happening this weekend to demand an end to gun violence.
Thank you for wearing orange and for being a part of this movement.
Nate and Cleopatra Pendleton
Parents of Hadiya Pendleton
Founders, Hadiya's Promise
P.S. If you are a survivor of gun violence or have a loved one who has been wounded or killed by gun violence, you can share your story on Moments That Survive with the stories of other survivors of gun violence. Read our Moments That Survive story about Hadiya.
