The City of Gainesville will spend June observing Gun Violence Awareness Month — planning to raise awareness, amplify survivors' voices and build community through a series of community events.
The city's events start this weekend with a memorial held in partnership with Alachua County Community Support Services, the Alachua County Crisis Center, the Community Gun Violence Prevention Alliance, according to the City of Gainesville website. Through the memorial event, the city hopes to offer opportunities for people to remember their loved ones.
The memorial runs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at Squirrel Ridge Park, 1603 SW Williston Road.
Thursday, June 4, at the start of the evening session of the city commission meeting, Mayor Harvey Ward and commissioners will proclaim June 5 as Gun Violence Awareness Day in Gainesville. The proclamation is set for 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 9, Healthy Afternoons with Gainesville Fire Rescue is teaming up with IMPACT GNV, sharing safety tips from safety responders. The event, which runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Lincoln Park, will offer free food and family-friendly activities.
The Alachua County Crisis Center is hosting a training session June 26 for Community Safety Day. Participants will learn about crisis identification, intervention principles and de-escalation techniques. Then, they'll learn techniques to control bleeding with UF Health before training to recognize opioid overdoses with Gainesville Fire Rescue.
The training session runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 26 at the Catalyst Building, 606 SE Depot Ave.
There's also a series of open mic nights each Wednesday in June at various locations across Gainesville. The open mic nights run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the following locations:
- June 3: Nest and Nibble Cafe (14 SW First Ave.)
- June 10: Released Reentry (4104 NW 13th St.)
- Youth Night, June 17: Depot Park (874 SE Fourth St.)
- June 24: Bo Diddley Plaza (111 E. University Ave.)
"Together, we can make a difference," the event page reads. "Join us in taking a stand against gun violence and building a safer future."