ASK Day is a national day of focus on the lifesaving message of the ASK (Asking Saves Kids) campaign, which urges parents to ask if there are guns in the homes where their children play.
ASK Day takes place on Saturday, June 21, the first day of summer, a time of year when children play more often in other homes.
This year's focus will be "One Simple Question, Thousands of Reasons to ASK" -- a reference to the single question that could save thousands of children's lives from senseless gun tragedies.
According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eight children are killed by guns each day -- almost 3,000 kids a year. Another 37 children are wounded with guns each day -- more than 13,000 a year. Data from Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, show that in America, 40 percent of homes with children have a gun, and nearly 1.7 million children live in a home with a loaded, unlocked gun.
Parents ask all sorts of questions to protect their children when they go play at the home of a friend, neighbor or caregiver. But there is one important question that more than half of parents say it never even occurred to them to ask: “Is there a gun in your home?”
If the answer is no, that is one less thing to worry about. If the answer is yes, parents are urged to ensure that the guns are stored locked and separate from ammunition, preferably in a gun safe.
Get Your Community Involved • Sign the ASK Parent Pledge • Get More ASK Day Ideas
