3 days ago
Spirit of Detroit jersey takes a stand against gun violence
He's dressed up as a Tiger, a Red Wing, a Piston and a Lion.
But on Friday, June 6, the hulking Spirit of Detroit — the famous Marshall Fredericks bronze statue — got a new outfit to tout a different cause: putting an end to gun violence.
Organizers credit Dr. Lawrence Diebel, a Detroit trauma specialist, for coming up with the idea to place an orange jersey on the Spirit of Detroit as a symbol. After years of treating gunshot victims in the city's emergency rooms, Diebel raised funds for the jersey from the public and other local physicians, fed up with the constant traumatic injuries they treat, according to a news release.
'Holding our End Gun Violence event at the foot of the Spirit of Detroit statue is a fitting location to symbolize our unity. The jersey is a symbol of what we've lost, the urgency of the moment, and a celebration of progress,' Diebel said in a written statement. "Although statistics show reductions in the number of victims of gun violence, we still have a long way to go to eradicate this epidemic."
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Hosted by the City of Detroit ERG Wellbeing Committee, the event was followed by a 'Stop the Bleed' training on how to respond to severe bleeding emergencies before first responders arrive, as well as a Community Mental Health Resource table and a Memorial Table for reflection.
The annual Silence the Violence event at Church of the Messiah is set for Saturday, June 7, at 10 a.m. and will include a community resource fair until 2 p.m. Events happening across the state during June can be found on End Gun Violence Michigan's website at
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Spirit of Detroit dons new jersey calling for halt to gun violence
