A public rally outside Town Hall on Sat., March 8 will be hosted by Greenwich Council Against Gun Violence. According to the organizers, the rally, which kicks off at 12:30pm supports the Sandy Hook Ride on Washington and seeks to “raise awareness of the need for common-sense gun legislation and to honor the 26 children and educators killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School.”
According to the Sandy Hook Ride on Washington website, 26 cyclists will ride from Sandy Hook to the Capitol between March 8 and the March 11 “in support of common sense legislation to reduce gun violence. We also ride to honor all victims of gun violence.”
Team 26 is riding for the second year, covering 400 miles from Newtown to Washington D.C. with rallies along the route.
Hosted by Connecticut Council Against Gun Violence, featured speakers at the March 8 rally will include:
- Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei
- Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT)
- Attorney General George Jepsen (CT)
- Representative Jim Himes (CT 4th District)
- Greenwich Selectman Drew Marzullo
- Monte Frank, captain, Team 26; board member, Newtown Action Alliance
- Jonathan Perloe, rally organizer, Greenwich Council Against Gun Violence
- Dawn Spearman, founder, You are Not Alone, Bridgeport, CT
- Reverend Maxwell Grant, Senior Minister, Second Congregational Church, Greenwich
Additional participants will include:
- Greenwich Selectman David Theis
- Ron Pinciaro, Executive Director, CT Against Gun Violence
- Rabbi Andrew R. Sklarz, Greenwich Reform Synagogue
The Greenwich Council Against Gun Violence is a local grassroots organization of concerned residents from Greenwich. The group’s mission is “to join hands with others to work for common-sense state and federal regulation of firearms to help reduce gun violence.”
TEAM 26 is a group of 26 cyclists riding a four-day, 400 mile “rolling rally” from Sandy Hook, Connecticut to Washington, D.C. for the second year in a row to honor all victims of gun violence, support stronger gun violence prevention laws and to spread our message of peace, hope and love along the way.
According to the Sandy Hook Ride on Washington website, Team 26 supports requiring all gun buyers pass criminal background checks, banning military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, making gun trafficking a federal crime, including penalties for ‘straw buyers,’ and strengthening gun ownership restrictions for people with severe mental illness.
Team 26 consists of professional and top amateur and masters cyclists from the Northeast and includes a former Junior World Championships National Team member, US National Team member, Canadian National Team member, Masters Silver Medalist, Maccabiah World Games Silver Medalist, and State and Regional Champions. Three members of the Team are from Newtown, including Monte Frank, Bill Muzzio and Chris Peck. Two of the riders have children who went to the Sandy Hook School. The team includes parents, teachers, and a Vietnam Veteran.