Ahead of the Illinois Democratic Primary to be held March 17, Sen. Bernie Sanders held a rally in Grant Park on March 7, attracting many U-High students and thousands of supporters. The rally lasted almost three hours, with many supporters arriving as early as four hours in advance.

Speakers at the rally included U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia and State Senator Robert Peters. Sen. Sanders spoke about issues important to his campaign such as Medicare for All, racial injustice, income and gender inequality.

Supporters affirmed their commitment to Sen. Sanders’ policy proposals, the most popular of which was Medicare for All.

An organizer for Sen. Sanders, a canvasser who only gave his first name Kyle, struggled with kidney issues throughout high school, preventing him from attending college. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, Kyle said he was able to turn his life around and get educated.

“Obamacare helped me make up everything in my life that got me behind, and I’m just excited to bring Medicare for All to more people, to help them out,” Kyle said.

The crowd, which was predominantly young and white, cheered every time Medicare for All was mentioned.