Highland Park teen’s work to fight gun violence earns more praise, funds

Four years after the tragic parade shooting in Highland Park, recent Highland Park High School graduation Sumner Silver continues to exemplify what it means to be HP Strong in her efforts to combat gun violence. 

And her work has not gone unnoticed.

Silver was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the Lake Forest-based Grainger Foundation and the $36,000 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award, which recognizes 15 change-making teenagers worldwide each year. 

With the Grainger Foundation grant funds, Silver partnered with The Lake County Gun Violence Prevention Initiative. Through this partnership, Silver has already donated more than 300 Hope Kits, her portable trauma-response kits, to communities at high risk of gun violence. 

She is assembling another 700 Hope Kits for distribution to organizations across Chicagoland to help fight gun violence.

Each Hope Kit, which is designed to provide immediate first aid in emergencies, is equipped with an instruction guide, emergency compression gauze, a CAT-certified tourniquet, gloves and a Sharpie marker to record the time on the tourniquet.

“Our hope is that we expand Hope Kits beyond the Chicagoland area into more at-risk communities across the country because gun violence is still definitely an epidemic in this country, and it’s not going away anytime soon,” said Silver, who is finalizing her college plans, of her future aspirations.

The funds from the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award can be allocated toward her studies and Hope Kits.

The growth of Silver’s initiatives is palpable.

In the aftermath of the shooting, having witnessed the profound impact that gun violence had on her community, Silver sprang into action. 

She received her Stop the Bleed certification through a training program in Evanston, learning emergency response practices to stop life-threatening bleeding such as how to apply a tourniquet and pack wounds. 

From there, Silver launched Hope Kits.

When The Record first caught up with Silver in April 2025 to learn about her life-saving efforts, she had distributed nearly 200 Hope Kits to communities across Chicagoland and fundraised more than $10,000 by selling her handmade greeting cards, called Happy Notes. 

Silver continues to sell Happy Notes with 100% of the proceeds going to Hope Kits and has now distributed nearly 700 Hope Kits to communities in need — not including the ones currently being assembled.

With Hope Kits’ growth, Silver hopes to continue the partnership with the Lake County Gun Violence Prevention Initiative. On June 27, Silver participated in the initiative’s Summer Day of Service at the Foss Park Community Recreation Center.

“The focus of our booth [was] not only [on] providing demonstrations on applying tourniquets and packing wounds, but also addressing how gun violence has affected our own community,” Silver said, adding of the support she’s received from the partnership and the community at-large, “They’ve been very appreciative of receiving the kits and are super on board with all of the Stop the Bleed certifications and … mission.”

She has also been hosting Stop the Bleed certification courses bimonthly, expanding into fire departments across Chicagoland. Silver led the June 26 course alongside two firefighters.

“Twenty community members from across the Chicagoland area gain knowledge of tourniquet application and wound packing, both skills that save lives,” Silver said of the course. 

As she looks toward the future, no matter where it takes her geographically, it’s clear this is just the beginning for Silver and Hope Kits.

“I definitely hope to take Hope Kits with me wherever I end up and do some more Stop the Bleed certification courses in other areas beyond the Chicagoland area and distribute Hope Kits there as well,” she said. 

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