Following in the wake of gun violence throughout Denver and Aurora, organizations come together to offer new opportunities to reduce gun violence on MLK weekend, including a gun to garden tool demonstration and gun buyback.
Mountain View United Church and 6th Ave United Church of Christ (UCC) are partnering with RAWtools to host a gun buyback from 1pm-3pm at Mountain View United Church, preceded by Sharletta Evans of Colorado Crime Survivors Network speaking at the 6th Avenue service from 10am to 11am. Ms Evans lost her 3-year old son, Casson, in the late 90s to gun violence and has since worked to address gun violence and the legal system locally and nationally for 25 years. RAWtools will also turn a gun into a garden tool at the 6th Ave service.
The buyback is the 3rd by a United Church of Christ congregation and first by an ecumenical congregation belonging to the Presbyterian Church (USA), United Methodist, and United Church of Christ since the Boulder mass shooting at a King Soopers, all facilitated by RAWtools. Community UCC in Boulder and Longmont UCC both hosted successful buybacks in June and September and both are paying forward visa gift cards to support the buyback in Aurora. RAWtools has been turning guns into garden tools since 2013, just after the Sandy Hook massacre. Based in Colorado Springs, RAWtools mission is to Disarm Hearts, Forge Peace, and Cultivate Justice. RAWtools provides and partners with other organizations working at intersections of gun violence to offer resources and trainings for mediation, dialogue, de-escalation, restorative and transformative justice, and more.
Colorado Crime Survivors Network, founded by Sharletta Evans, has a mission to support, advocate, collaborate and build coalitions for victims and offenders in addition to at-risk youth. Their programs include support for victims and survivors of violence, including advocacy and victim rights, victim/offender mitigation including juvenile offender reform and adult clemency. All of these programs echo Ms. Evans lived experience of gun violence and its aftermath.
6th Ave United Church Service with Sharletta Evans and Gun to Garden Tool transformation–
10am to 11am
3250 E 6th Ave
Denver, CO 80206
Rev. Christopher Gilmore Lead Minister cgilly314@gmail.com
Gun Buyback at Mountain View United Church 1pm to 3pm
NO PRESS TO MAINTAIN ANONYMITY (Photos can be provided after event by our designated photographer that maintain anonymity for participants)
10700 E Evans Ave
Aurora, CO 80014
Rev. Dr. Tracy L. Hughes, Lead Minister revtracy@mtnviewunited.org
Colorado Crime Survivors Network – cocrimesurvivorsnetwork.org
Founder Sharletta Evans- sharlettacevans@gmail.com 720-309-7623
Community Gun Violence Prevention Advocate Kia M. Ruiz kruiz@bradyunited.org
RAWtools – rawtools.org
Executive Director Mike Martin mike@rawtools.org 719-203-8069
Compensation Rates for Guns turned in at Buyback:
$100 for single shot rifles and shotguns, including double barrel shotguns
$200 for semiautomatic handguns and rifles
$300 for assault style rifles as determined by RAWtools.