Moms march in Orlando to protest gun violence.

The Dec. 14, 2012, shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., was the last straw for Andrea Halperin.

It was then she decided become an advocate for what she views as sensible gun control.

On Saturday, she helped organize Orlando’s version of the national Moms Demand Action march, which is meant to raise awareness about gun violence.

About 20 people, most wearing red T-shirts with the Moms Demand Action logo, met at Lake Druid Park north of Colonial Drive and set off on a two-mile hike, holding signs and waving at cars Saturday morning.

The event’s reach has been made easier by social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, Halperin said.

“This is a nice turnout but this gets to be amplified all across the state,” thanks to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, said Halperin, 45. “We can share this and raise awareness online. It’s invaluable.”

As the walk kicked off, Karol Lucken, an associate professor at the University of Central Florida who teaches criminal justice, said state lawmakers’ actions pushed her to join the effort.

Republicans in the Florida Legislature have in recent years pushed bills that would allow concealed-weapons permit holders to carry guns on college campuses in the state, though none have become law.

“We need to keep spreading awareness,” Lucken said of the Moms Demand Action group. “This is another thing that is about vigilance.”

As part of its platform, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America says it