FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sandy Hook Promise and March For Our Lives Come Together
For the Last Stop of the Road to Change Tour
Newtown, CT – On the afternoon of Sunday, August 12th over 2,000 people attended the much-anticipated last stop of the March For Our Lives Road to Change Tour in Newtown, CT.
Both groups, each scarred by gun violence, came together to demonstrate their formidable strength with the mutual goal of pushing for common-sense gun reform across the country. This year alone, there have already been at least 54 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, in cities big and small.
Spearheaded by the March For Our Lives (MFOL) and Newtown teens, with support from Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), the community event included voter registration, activities for all ages, and fare from local food trucks including Iguanas on Wheels, Sherman’s Tap House, The Grumpy Pig BBQ, Weenie Lynns, and ice cream provided by Ben & Jerry’s. PepsiCo also donated refreshments and snacks for all attendees of the event.
When the MFOL teens arrived at the event, the Newtown community rallied together to applaud them for their bravery and strength.
The dynamic MFOL and Newtown teens all gave galvanizing and inspiring speeches, including Matt Deitsch, Jackie Corin, Bria Smith, Matt Post, Jammal Lemy, Ramon Contreras, Naomi Wadler, Yolanda King, and Langston Saint of MFOL, Natalie Barden, Tommy Murray, and Jackson Middleman of the Junior Newtown Action Alliance, Isabella Segall, Audrey Moline of Connecticut Teens Against Gun Violence, and Joshua Fee and Dayzra Bournes of the HDTV Youth Leadership Academy.
Notable attendees also included Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, and Cameron Kasky of MFOL, Jeff Kasky of Families vs. Assault Rifles PAC, Fred Guttenberg of Orange Ribbons for Jaime, Manuel and Patricia Oliver of Change the Ref, and Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
Entertainment for the event was provided by local bands, all with talented teen musicians, including Waveform, XY Chromotones, and the Polkadogs. Natalie Barden performed a set with her bandmates Lindsey Dievert and Rick Irving and gave a moving performance of the song “Humble and Kind” with her father, Mark Barden, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Sandy Hook Promise. Natalie’s brother Daniel was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. She also played a key role in organizing the overall program for the event.
The Newtown Action Alliance, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, Connecticut Against Gun Violence, and Connecticut Teens Against Gun Violence also had tables at the event to lend their support to the cause.
“It was an honor to host the last stop of the March For Our Lives Tour here in Newtown. Despite the terrible circumstances that brought us together, Sandy Hook Promise is proud to stand alongside these teen activists to move the needle on gun reform across the country,” said Nicole Hockley, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Promise Elementary shooting.
The March For Our Lives Road to Change Tour kicked off in Chicago, IL on Friday, June 15th and traveled to more than 50 cities in over 20 states including Iowa, Texas, California, South Carolina, and Connecticut.
The tour traveled to places where the NRA has strongholds, as well as a number of communities that have been affected by gun violence where they met fellow survivors. At each stop, the MFOL activists registered young people to vote in advance of the upcoming mid-term elections.
About Sandy Hook Promise: Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national, nonprofit organization based in Newtown, Connecticut. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. SHP’s mission is to prevent gun violence (and other forms of violence and victimization) BEFORE it happens by educating and mobilizing youth and adults to identify, intervene and get help for at-risk individuals. SHP is a moderate, above-the-politics organization that supports sensible program and policy solutions that address the “human-side” of gun violence by preventing individuals from ever getting to the point of picking up a firearm to hurt themselves or others. Our words, actions and impact nationwide are intended to honor all victims of gun violence by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation.
For more information, visit www.sandyhookpromise.org or call 203-304-9780.
About March For Our Lives: March For Our Lives is a movement dedicated to student-led activism around ending gun violence and the epidemic of mass shootings in our schools today and gun violence in communities. On March 24, 2018, the organization held one of the largest rallies in Washington D.C. demanding for common-sense gun reform to ensure the safety of all students across the country in light of the growing epidemic of school shootings. For more information, visit www.marchforourlives.com.
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Media Contact:
Dini von Mueffling Communications
Stephanie Morris
646-650-5005