ORLANDO, Fla. – Pastors from all over Orlando hit the polls at the Amway Center on Friday during early voting.
The group met outside Shiloh Baptist Church on Jackson St Friday morning then marched a couple of blocks to the arena where early voting is taking place.
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The march is part of the Central Florida Vote Festival taking place this weekend.
Pastor Terence Gray with Saint Mark Church is one of the organizers of the event.
“When you see pastors you dont really see us trying to push our churches that’s not it, it’s bigger than that. Organizations that have come together across Central Florida coming together unified for this effort, we understand it’s bigger than you,” Gray said.
Gray said the reason for Friday’s march is to spread a message to everyone about the importance of voting during this election, especially minority communities.
“We recognize every vote matters, our pastors, our millennials have been marching the streets crying out black lives matter and it gave them attention, it gave them an opportunity to be heard. But if you want to make a change, you gotta put on some black shirts too and march the streets and get to the polls and vote,” Gray said.
The festival is full of weekend events. On Saturday, returning citizens with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition are expected to march outside the Amway Center on Saturday for early voting.
The Voting is Queen event will target minority and female voters from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Souls to the Polls community rally is set to take place on Sunday.