A team of 26 cyclists will set off to ride 400 miles in four days on March 9 from Newtown, Connecticut to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. to raise awareness about the need for gun safety legislation in light of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.
At 8:30am ET on March 9, Newtown, CT will be sending off a team of 26 cyclists who will ride 400 miles in four days, from Newtown to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to arrive in time for a major press conference on March 12. The Sandy Hook Ride on Washington aims to memorialize those senselessly killed at the Sandy Hook School by raising awareness about the immediate need for gun safety legislation.
The riders are a mix of professional, top amateur, and masters cyclists from throughout the Northeast. The team includes a former U.S. National Team member, Canadian National Team member, Masters National Champion, and State and Regional Champions. Throughout the journey, the riders will be accompanied by a Newtown police motorcycle with stops in cities and towns along the way. Three members of the riding team are from Newtown, including Monte Frank, Bill Muzzio, and Chris Peck. Two of the riders have children who went to Sandy Hook and the team includes parents, teachers, a Newtown police officer, and a Vietnam veteran.
Specifically, the riders support common sense measures to help curb gun violence:
- Requiring all gun buyers pass criminal background checks
- Instituting a ban of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
- Making gun trafficking a federal crime, including real penalties for “straw buyers”
- Strengthening gun ownership restrictions for people with severe mental illness.
At the start of the ride, the community will first meet at Reed Intermediate School for an event hosted by First Selectman Pat Llodra and will include U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn), U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn), U.S. Representative Elizabeth Etsy (CT-5), and U.S. Representative Jim Himes (CT-4) among others.
The riders will make a stop in Ridgefield, CT at 11 am where they will be met by U.S. Representative Himes and First Selectman Rudy Marconi. Representative Himes and First Selectman Matthew Knickerbocker (Bethel) will be riding with Team 26 from Newtown to Ridgefield.
For more information on the rally, the riders and the four-day Sandy Hook Ride on Washington, please check the ride’s Facebook page: Sandy Hook Ride on Washington.
