Today’s the day that we deliver our Mountain Heroes photo petition to the Obama administration! This massive photo petition is historic—it includes photos and personal messages and stories from more than 13,500 people across the country who wrote to President Obama and his administration for an end to mountaintop removal mining. It’s the largest photo petition ever to be delivered to the president, and it’s all about ending the nation’s most destructive mining practice, protecting Appalachian families and communities, and standing up for clean water, healthy communities, environmental justice, and beautiful mountains and wildlife.

I can’t tell you all how honored I feel in delivering your inspiring and touching messages and images today to our nation’s leaders. When I look at this petition and see all your photos and messages, I am moved to my very core. You all have created as powerful and beautiful of a solidarity display as I can imagine.

We’re delivering this petition as a part of a much larger event in front of the White House, at which many of our Mountain Heroes from Appalachia will join with citizens from all over, environmental organizations, clean water defenders, faith community leaders, and voices for social justice to call for an end to destructive mountaintop removal coal mining.

There will only ever be one Larry Gibson, but we all must carry on his work. We can honor him by multiplying his voice.

Last Sunday, the movement to end mountaintop removal mining and the environmental justice movement at large lost one of its most dedicated and inspired leaders, Larry Gibson. Larry was excited to be a part of this event and was deeply involved in the planning of it. He felt it was very important that we stand in solidarity with Appalachia right now and call on all of our nation’s leaders—regardless of political party—to protect justice, human rights, clean water, and mountains in Appalachia. Larry dedicated 30 years to this work, and he never gave up on this fight. Today, we will dedicate this solidarity event to him and his indomitable spirit, which inspired so many of us.

I’ll be live Tweeting the whole thing and posting as many pictures as I can throughout so that even if you can’t be here in person, you will get to experience this powerful event.

Please join in on the social media action! Tweet with us today and show your solidarity by using the hashtags #StopMTR and #StandingForLarry.

And stay tuned here for live updates throughout.