PARKLAND, FLA. (WSVN) - From Parkland to Goulds, events held this weekend in observance of Gun Violence Awareness Day continued South Floridians’ conversation for change and paid tribute to victims of school shootings.
On Sunday, South Floridians directly affected by gun violence came together at Goulds Park in Southwest Miami-Dade to share their stories.
“I was shot when I was 16 years old in Miami Gardens,” said Megan Hobson with the group Moms Demand Action Miami.
But for many, the story of gun violence is told by grieving loved ones left behind.
“My son, Jerry Wright, was killed at Pulse in 2016,” said Maria Wright, referring to the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando.
“I lost my 17-year-old son right here in this neighborhood,” said another mother.
Those tragic stories were represented throughout the weekend by one color: orange.
“We wear orange in honor of them and to make the promise that we are going to do everything we can to stop this,” said Wright, “because our politicians are not getting the message that change is needed now.”
National Gun Violence Awareness Day is officially June 1, but it’s been marked in Florida and across the U.S. over several days.
In Pine Trails Park, located down the street from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the Healing Through Harmony youth concert, held Saturday, honored the survivors of the Feb. 14 shooting that claimed the lives of 17 students and teachers.
“The community is coming together to say we want common sense gun laws, and my children are afraid to go to school,” said attendee Tonya Williams. “I don’t want that to happen anymore to anyone else.”
“I just couldn’t believe something of this nature could happen in this beautiful area,” said participant James Lee, “and obviously, we have to do something about it.”
In Miami, concerned residents attended a gun violence rally on Saturday led by political commentator Ana Navarro.
“Everything is about being engaged in gun violence, and how we can fight it together,” said attendee Manuel Oliver.
Oliver’s son, Joaquin Oliver, was one of the students killed at Stoneman Douglas.
Participants wore orange as a symbol of solidarity, to support a safer city and community.
In Fort Lauderdale, the Ride for Meadow paid tribute to Meadow Pollack, one of the students killed in the Valentine’s Day massacre at Stoneman Douglas.
Her grieving father, school safety advocate Andrew Pollack, called on motorcyclists for a ride along the beach and a fundraiser to support a new park being built in his daughter’s memory.
“This is what we do. When the community is down, we get out, and we raise some money,” said Pollack.
Meanwhile, in Davie, a scholarship fundraiser was held in memory of Jamie Guttenberg, another life lost in the Parkland shooting.
“Teachers, students, parents – we’ve all been deeply affected, and we just want to do whatever we can,” said attendee Kelli Yselonia. “This is a positive night.”
Joaquin Oliver and Meadow Pollack would have graduated from high school on Sunday. Their grieving school community paid tribute to them, as well as victims Nicholas Dworet and Carmen Schentrup, at the commencement ceremony held at the BB&T Center in Sunrise.
As the school year ends for students across the country, organizers of these events said they plan to keep their push for progress going through the summer and beyond.
“I don’t want to be a part of the mass shooting generation anymore,” said student activist Juliana Carrasco. “I want to be in a generation of change makers.”
Back at Goulds Park, groups like Moms Demand Action Miami and Mothers Fighting for Justice raised their voices in an effort to impact gun violence in their communities.
“Today I take a stand. I think that there’s a lot of survivors who don’t make it to where I am,” said Hobson. “They’re sometimes shy, too, to speak out about what’s going on, but I speak for myself, and I speak for them when I come and stand in support.”
According to statistics from WearOrange.org, 90 people are killed by gun violence every day in the U.S., and hundreds more are injured.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.