By Andrew Digesare
What is the SAVE Promise Club?
Facts about SAVE Promise Club:
Facts about gun violence (and why we need the SAVE Promise Club):
1. Each day, 12 children die from gun violence in America. Another 32 are shot and injured.
2. Guns are a leading cause of death among American children and teens. In a 2022 study, firearms were the leading cause of death for children and teens (ages 1-17).
3. Since the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, more than 390,000 students in the U.S. have experienced gun violence at school.
4. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the year 2024 saw more than 1,400 children and teens (ages 0-17) die from firearms and more than 3,700 were injured. There is help for victims and survivors of gun violence.
5. An estimated 4.6 million American children live in a home where at least one gun is kept loaded and unlocked.
6. In 4 out of 5 school shootings, at least one other person had knowledge of the attacker’s plan but failed to report it.
7. Almost all mass school shooters shared threatening or concerning messages or images. More than 75% raised concern from others prior to the attacks.
8. About 1 out of 5 gay and lesbian youth have been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property.
Four E’s:
Every SAVE Promise Club is centered around the four E’s:
Educating: Students learn how to make our school a friendly and welcoming place. Through fun activities, events, and projects, we spread kindness and help everyone feel included.
Empowering: Club members build the knowledge and skills necessary to make a difference in their community and school. We make sure students know that their voice matters.
Engaging: SAVE Promise Clubs get students involved in real ways to help prevent violence and keep our school safe.
Encouraging: As leaders, we support and lift each other up. By working together, we set a good example and help make our school a better place for everyone.
How to start?
It’s easy for students to start a SAVE Promise Club in their school or community. A SAVE Promise Club can be a stand-alone club or be built into an existing club, such as a student council or another student leadership, civic, or kindness club. Each club receives tools and resources to plan events, activities, and projects that help raise awareness of risk factors, like bullying and social isolation, while also promoting kindness, respect, and belonging.
How it started:
Alex Orange was a 17-year-old football player from West Charlotte, NC. Alex was known as someone who looked out for others. In April of 1989, Alex joined 200 of his classmates at a party. When a group of young men from a rival school showed up armed and looking for trouble, Alex stepped forward, telling the intruders this was no place for violence. Sadly, the situation escalated, and shots were fired. Alex lost his life that day. The next week, Alex’s classmates returned to classes, mourning yet another young life lost to gun violence. They vowed to work for change in Alex’s honor, forming “Students Against Violence Everywhere,” also known as SAVE.
In 2017, SAVE and Sandy Hook Promise combined efforts, forming the SAVE Promise Club, dedicated to educating and empowering young people to prevent violence nationwide.