Team 26 and local gun violence prevention advocates will be joined by lawmakers today to kick off the 2016 Sandy Hook Ride on Washington.  Team 26 is a group of cyclists from Newtown and beyond inspired by those lost and those who survived the shootings at Sandy Hook School on 12-14.

The team will embark on its fourth ride from Sandy Hook to the U.S. Capitol from April 9 through April 12 to raise awareness of the gun violence epidemic.

Team 26 will depart from Edmond Town Hall at 8am. Their ride will take them through communities throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and conclude at the U.S. Capitol, where they will urge Congress to pass commonsense legislation to reduce gun violence.

In Washington, the team will present Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and 5th District Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty with petitions signed by more than 36,000 Americans in support of legislation to improve safety at colleges and universities by making it more difficult for people to carry concealed weapons onto campus.  Blumenthal and Murphy will bring a petition to the floor of the Senate, and Esty will bring a petition to the floor of the House of Representatives.

Newtown First Selectman Patricia Llodra and Team 26 founder Monte Frank will be joined by the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus and Connecticut Against Gun Violence.  Nelba Marquez-Greene and Jimmy Greene, parents of 6-year old Ana Marquez-Green will also be at the Newtown rally.