SPRINGDALE, Ark. — The Wear Orange event is part of a national movement meant to honor gun violence victims. Community partners came together to offer services for victims and to educate the public in Springdale this weekend.
“We have voices and we want them to be heard, and so it's powerful to see our elected officials saying that there is more to be done,” said Anthony Dinicola.
Dinicola and Monica Thomas are relatively new to Northwest Arkansas. Dinicola lived in Chicago for thirteen years where gun violence was normal for him. They attended this event because they want to see change in the community and become more aware of this ongoing issue.
“I want to be involved in a community that is saying 'we are coming together in a place of love and connection,'” Dinicola said.
Their be S.M.A.R.T. program is an acronym used by Moms Demand Action for gun safety. The letter S for secure, M for model, A for ask, R for recognize, and T for tell.
“A lot of private organizations offer classes in gun safety in the area and I would just say if you’re going to take the step of going to get trained and getting a gun, just be trained on how to properly secure it," said Ellen Weintraut, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action.
The message that Moms Demand Action wants to get across is not about removing guns. It’s about being smart with weapons.
“If you’re going to have a gun just be safe. Lock it up because kids will find them,” said Weintraut.
If you would like to get involved with Moms Demand Action text “act” to 644-33 and you will be added to the national Mom’s Demand Action organization.
DOWNLOAD THE 5NEWS APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE 5NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
- ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KFSM in the Channel Store.
- FIRE TV: search for "KFSM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com.