MSN
“Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo took the ice before the team’s game Thursday to honor the 17 victims of the Parkland, Fla., shooting and urge his community to “take action” in a powerful speech.
Trying to fight back tears after telling the fans he wanted to spend the rest of his life in the area, Luongo pleaded with them to fight for change. “It’s time for us as a community to take action,” he said. “It’s enough. Enough is enough. We’ve got to take action.
“Luongo said afterwards that none of the speech was scripted because he wanted to speak from the heart. “I didn’t want to have anything scripted,” the goalie said. “I just wanted to let it come out the way it was meant to be.”
Luongo also thanked the teachers who risked or gave their lives to protect children and praised the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who have rallied together to start the Never Again movement.
“I’m very, very proud of you guys,” Luongo said. “You guys are brave. You guys are an inspiration to all of us, and at the end of the day, you guys are what’s giving us hope for the future.”
Thank You, Roberto, we are all very proud of them.