ORLANDO, Fla. – Thousands of people marched across the country speaking out against gun violence in March For Our Lives events on Saturday.

At Lake Eola, a separate event hosted by members of an Orlando Boys & Girls Club also called for an end to gun violence.

“I feel like this is something that’s very important to me,” said Keyshunn McNeil, one of several young people who showed up to march.

McNeil is a 16-year-old student at Evans High School and a member of the Young Blacks in Action Community Band. 

Marching with him were around 45 other children who showed up for a Day of hope, making their way from the Boys & Girls Club to Lake Eola, using the word H.O.P.E. as an acronym for a Healing Oasis for Peace and Empowerment.

“We can always use people to do activities like this to keep the younger youth, and also older people off the streets to keep violence from happening,” shared McNeil.

Organizers say the children of H.O.P.E began envisioning this rally back in February when a member of the Boys & Girls Club was killed from gun violence.

Today was their opportunity to push for gun safety in the community and organizers believe their message is even more important after a recent string of shootings involving a 10-year-old killing a woman in Orlando.

Days later, a separate incident resulted in the death of a man shot by his two-year-old son.

“It was pivoting and pointing to the local tragedies we have day in and day out,” explained University of Central Florida Assistant Professor and Day of H.O.P.E organizer Dr. L. Trenton Marsh.

“Giving the young people an opportunity to utilize that voice and letting it spark that can transform not only Orlando, not only central Florida, not only the state of Florida but also at a national level,” Marsh continued. 

Several speakers, including members of the Orlando Police Department, were in attendance, communicating with the youth.

As for young people like McNeil, he says he appreciates rallies like the one held today and feels it's a way for children to stay out of trouble.

“There’s a lot of violence and things you can’t control around you, but it’s certain groups and activities that can help you get out of stuff like that,” he said.