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DC restaurants support 'March for Our Lives' with free food for students

Restaurants in the nation's capital are supporting students and gun control advocates with free food and discounted meals.
/ Source: TODAY

Thousands of students and families are expected to flood the streets of Washington, D.C., on Saturday, March 24, to attend "March for Our Lives," a historic event being led by survivors of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and gun control advocates across the country.

To show their solidarity with marchers and activists, restaurants throughout the nation's capital and surrounding areas will offer free or discounted food to participants. Those eateries have started their own mini-movement, and they're calling it "Food For Our Lives."

"We wanted to be able to provide something to people making an effort and going out there and speaking up," Mallory Finnigan, general manager at the new-American eatery The Pig, told TODAY Food. "People just flood down 14th Street. We wanted to get a chance to feed them and to do something to show our solidarity."

Finnigan added that all EatWell group restaurants (including The Bird, Grillfish, Comissary and Logan Tavern) will be offering a specialty cocktail, donated by Opici Family Distributing. All proceeds from sales of the drink will go to Everytown for Gun Safety.

"We proudly stand with the students who have come to make their voices heard against gun violence," reads the "Food For Our Lives" website. To get a free meal, any student 18-and-under with a valid ID can visit the following restaurants and meal distribution points.

Think Food Lab

Chef Jose Andres' ThinkFoodGroup will offer free meals to marching students while supplies last. According to the chef's Twitter account, his kitchen staff have been very busy prepping for the big event.

The Pig and The Bird

Employees from these two restaurants will be on the sidewalk, handing out free bagged lunches to any demonstrator walking by.

The following restaurants are offering students a 50 percent discount on meals from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shake Shack

Participating Shake Shacks around Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia, are all participating in the half-price meal deal. On Friday, Shake Shack Union Station will host a "March for Our Lives" poster making event from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.. They'll also be handing out free ShackBurgers to all participating.

Beefsteak

This vegetarian chain is offering discounted meals to student marchers at all three of its area locations.

Sugar Shack Donuts

When supporters need a sweet pick-me-up to keep marching, Sugar Shack Donuts in D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia, will be handing out one free doughnut to any student activist.

Rasa

Rasa Grill in Navy Yard will be extending its hours to provide service after the march officially ends. They'll be serving discounted food from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.