A group of 26 cyclists started a 400-mile journey from Connecticut to Washington D.C. Saturday. Team 26 pedaled with a purpose; to convince Congress to get tough on gun violence.
“We thought Sandy Hook was going to be the tipping point, and yet it just happens over and over,” said Laura Feinstein.
The Sandy Hook reading teacher lived through the mass shooting at her school. Her three decades in education changed in a moment on December 14, 2012.
“Lockdowns have just become part of the norm, which is heartbreaking,” said Feinstein.
Surrounded by members of Team 26 dressed in Sandy Hook green, Feinstein was one of half a dozen speakers who shared their stories as part of a call to Congress to take action to end gun violence. She was joined by a mother from Utah who lost her youngest daughter in a shooting and 19-year-old Tyler Saurez, who performed a song in memory of his aunt, Sandy Hook principal Dawn Hochsprung.
“The biggest message I think is just to listen to each other. I think the overall message is that that’s what everyone wants. We all want to be listened to,” Suarez said.
“This year, we’re carrying with us a petition that’s been signed by over 250-thousand Americans,” said Team 26 Leader Monte Frank.
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The team first pedaled off for Washington in 2013, to remember the 26 students and teachers killed at Sandy Hook, and call for change from the lawmakers they met along their two-wheel tour.
“It’s bigger than that now. It’s not just about Sandy Hook, it’s all the other places, you know Parkland, and the slow massacre that’s happening in our cities. We’ve got to stop this madness,” said Frank.