They’ll ride 400 miles from Newtown to Washington DC. Their goal is to convince lawmakers to mandate tougher background checks for gun purchases.
The long-distance cyclists of Team 26 had a send-off ceremony Saturday morning.
Before 2012, few people outside of Connecticut knew about the community of Newtown, but now it is known around the world as the symbolic front line of America’s gun control debate.
“We’re going to keep fighting until this epidemic of gun violence is over,” said Frank Monte.
Monte is a member of Team 26, a group of 26 bicyclists who set off Saturday on the second Sandy Hook Ride on Washington. They plan to ride their bikes from Newtown to DC to take a stand on Capitol Hill.
“There are those among us who realize being patriotic is standing up for what’s morally right, protecting our neighborhoods and our children,” said Mark Bardin, who’s son Daniel was killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary.