Local area students have taken up the call to organize a march to demand action to prevent more school shootings. The event will be held on March 24, 2018. There is a rally starting at 11:00 am at Lawyer’s Mall (100 State Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401), where there will be speakers, including students, educators, parents and concerned citizens. At noon, the group will march down Main Street in Annapolis, to Susan Campbell Park, where they will sign a banner requesting that state officials address the gun violence issues that are affecting student safety.
On Sunday, February 18, survivors of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School announced that they were organizing a march in Washington, D.C. on March 24th, called the March For Our Lives. Mackenzie Boughey, a sophomore at The Severn School read about these students and decided to organize a local march on the same date. She reached out to a local group, March on Maryland and they graciously agreed to sponsor her march, and help her with permits and logistics.
This event is open to all students of both public and private schools, educators, and any citizens concerned about gun violence and keeping students safe. The organizers feel that this is an issue that affects everyone. Voter registration will be on-site, and any student who is currently 16, and will be 18 by the general election in 2020, is able to register to vote.
This is an entirely student-led initiative. Local action groups have offered help and guidance on how to hold an event, but all of the decisions and planning are being done by students. Miss Boughey formed a small group of both public and private school students who are organizing the event.
This mission statement for the national march is one that the local group follows. It reads in part, “School safety is not a political issue. There cannot be two sides to doing everything in our power to ensure the lives and futures of children who are at risk of dying when they should be learning, playing, and growing. The mission and focus of March For Our Lives is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues. No special interest group, no political agenda is more critical than timely passage of legislation to effectively address the gun violence issues that are rampant in our country. Every kid in this country now goes to school wondering if this day might be their last. We live in fear. “
One on one interviews are available in advance of the event.
For Media Information Contact:
Mackenzie Boughey 443-813-0161
(Please note, I’m a student and generally only available for calls after 6pm but am off school March 12-23 and will be available during the day. You can reach us anytime at marchforourlivesannapolis@gmail.com)
March for Our Lives: Annapolis
Mackenzie Boughey, Alexandra Szynal, Maddi Meyer, Kelsey Giorgio, Lauren Carlson, & Maya Rogalski
www.ForOurLivesMD.com
Facebook: March For Our Lives: Annapolis https://www.facebook.com/MarchForOurLivesAnnapolis/
Twitter: @ForOurLivesMD
Instagram: marchforourlivesannapolis
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