Mets join 'Wear Orange' campaign

SAN DIEGO -- The Mets on Tuesday announced their participation in the first-annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, taking photos of their players and front-office employees decked out in orange. The Mets became the first major professional sports franchise to participate in the event, joining more than 200 organizations, cultural influencers and elected officials.

"We are proud to be a part of such an important campaign that is a prevalent issue in our society today," Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said in a statement. "We hope this increased awareness can bring about some ideas and actions to address this problem."

The "Wear Orange" campaign was inspired by a group of Chicago teens who asked classmates to commemorate the life of their friend -- 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed one week after marching in President Obama's second inaugural parade -- by wearing orange, a color that hunters often use to protect themselves in the woods. What started in their high school has grown into a national movement. The Mets are encouraging fans to visit wearorange.org for more details.