Victim’s father starts ‘Orange Wave’

Parkland dad Fred Guttenberg hopes his gun-reform campaign on social media will catch fire like the old Ice Bucket Challenge.

Guttenberg, whose daughter died in the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, is asking fathers to videotape themselves pledging to “vote orange” for gun safety in the November election. He wants them to post the videos with the hashtag #OrangeWaveInNovember and nominate 10 friends to do the same.

The campaign began Sunday. “Father’s Day is no longer about me; it’s my job as a dad, [about] the safety and security of my family,” Guttenberg said.

In the Ice Bucket Challenge, people posted videos of themselves pouring a bucket of water over their heads to raise awareness about ALS. Millions of people participated worldwide in July and August 2014 in one of the biggest viral campaigns in history.

Guttenberg hopes the Orange Wave snowballs the same way.

“We need to make a huge presence felt now so there’s no question where America stands,” said Guttenberg, who has traveled to several states to lobby for gun reform.

Guttenberg’s daughter, Jaime Guttenberg, 14, was shot in the back on the third floor of the 1200 building as she tried to flee the bullets at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high. He chose orange for his campaign because it was his daughter’s favorite color.

lhuriash@sunsentinel.com