The Jeff Pulver Blog: Introducing PAX and the ASK and SPEAK UP Campaigns:

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May 17, 2007

Introducing PAX and the ASK and SPEAK UP Campaigns:

On Tuesday night I attended the 7th Annual PAX Benefit Gala as my friends Michael and Vikki Price were honored by PAX for their dedication to PAX's mission to end gun violence.

While I did not know much about PAX before attending the benefit, I left the event as a supporter of the work PAX is doing and aware of PAX's national campaigns, ASK and SPEAK UP, projects that make the gun violence issue a matter of public health and safety - not politics - and creates the foundation for changes in social attitudes, behaviors and public policy.

PAX, the largest non-lobbying organization dedicated to the gun violence issue, is a nonprofit organization working to help bring an end to gun violence against children and families in America.

PAX's first major program - the ASK (Asking Saves Kids) campaign - was launched in Fall 2000. Based on the fact that 40% of homes with children in America have a gun, with many of those guns left unlocked or loaded, the ASK campaign urges parents to ask about guns before sending their children to play at someone's home. ASK is a simple concept that has far-reaching cultural impact. Parents are now talking with other parents about guns in the home as a routine part of good parenting, bringing the issue out into the open for the first time. Through the ASK campaign, America is changing the way it looks at guns and gun violence, and most importantly, lives are being saved.

Rockford, IL is an example of a town in America which has adopted the ASK campaign and has made it their own. Visit the RockfordASKS home page to see how they did it.

PAX’s SPEAK UP campaign is based on the startling fact that in 81% of school shootings, the attackers told other students about their plans beforehand. In other words, most school shootings are preventable. SPEAK UP features the nation's first-ever national hotline (1-866-SPEAK-UP) for students to report weapon-related threats in their schools and neighborhoods. Since its launch, the SPEAK UP hotline has received more than 20,000 calls. SPEAK UP is also supported by a powerful national media campaign called "Signs," communicating that students can truly help prevent a tragedy by calling PAX's anonymous 1-866-SPEAK UP hotline if they see a "sign" of violence.

Tuesday night’s PAX benefit raised one million dollars for the organization and brought together 600 people in support of their efforts. Below are a few pictures I took at the event: