Gun control supporters embarked on their annual bike ride from Newtown to Washington, D.C., to honor the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and call for tougher gun laws.

The mother of one of the little girls, Ana Márquez-Greene, who died during the massacre, spoke with NBC Connecticut about her gratitude towards the cyclists.

"I feel like this is the epitome of love winning. These guys that don't know us would come out and not just remember Newtown, but Chicago, Baltimore, Hartford, Bridgeport this is incredibly special," Nelba Márquez-Greene said.



A send-off ceremony was held Saturday in Newtown where the 26 riders started the four-day journey at 8 a.m.



When they get to Washington, the cyclists plan to deliver a petition signed by about 38,000 people calling on Congress to make it more difficult to carry concealed weapons on college campuses.



Nelba Márquez-Greene said it was Team 26’s mission that gave her the courage to step up to the podium and share her story.

The cyclists will make several stops along the way to talk to people about gun violence in cities and towns in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.

Connecticut lawmakers gathered to support the team and talk about gun control in the U.S.

“What could be more common sense for Congress to approve then keeping guns off campuses where they’ve done so much damage and destruction,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said.

