NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) A team of 26 cyclists is riding from Newtown to Washington to call for legislation to curb gun violence.

The riders are leaving Saturday from Newtown where members of Connecticut's congressional delegation including U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal are expected to participate in a send-off event.

The riders are a mix of professional and amateur cyclists from around the Northeast. Three members of the team are from Newtown, and two of them have children who went to Sandy Hook Elementary School. They plan to arrive in Washington for a news conference on March 12.

A gunman killed 26 people inside the school in Newtown last year before committing suicide as police arrived.

The riders are calling for measures including a ban of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.