Women in Des Moines celebrated this past Mother’s Day in an nontraditional way — by being activists.

Concerns over gun-control issues led mothers in Iowa and from around the nation to protest in favor of tougher legislation against handguns during the holiday weekend.

The Million Mom March in Washington D.C. drew 750,000 supporters to the nation’s capitol on Mother’s Day. The protesters called for the development of child-proof guns to help prevent injury and death to children.

Smaller groups around the country also gathered to show solidarity with the Washington protest.

A group of Des Moines-area mothers organized a picnic Sunday to bring attention to the gun-control issue.

Although with between 50 and 75 supporters rallying for the issue the event wasn’t as large or high-profile as its Washington counterpart, the activists were still fervent about their cause.

The Des Moines group, which also included men and children, gathered in Beaverdale Park.

Iowa Sen. Elaine Szymoniak, D-Des Moines, was one of those in attendance.

“The organizer, Amy Graber, has two small children and felt that something needed to be done in Des Moines to bring awareness of gun control in Iowa,” Szymoniak said.

She said she felt the low attendance could be explained because of other events, including the Drake University graduation.

Tom Gilsenan, graduate student at the University of Iowa, also spoke at the event.

Gilsenan said he had five students in his class when he was teaching at a Minneapolis high school who were murdered with handguns over a course of 10 years.

These tragedies have led Gilsenan to stay active for better gun control.

“My students told me they didn’t feel safe. It was just a feeling they had,” he said. “One of my former students pulled out a gun one day and showed it to me and told me he had to have it because he had to protect himself.”