YOUTH, LAW ENFORCEMENT JOIN FOR BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Mayors Coalition hosts annual event to combat youth crime and prevent gang violence in Metro Boston

SOMERVILLE – Law enforcement officials, youth services workers and local teens will join together for the Annual Shannon Grant Basketball Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017 in a show of solidarity among youth and those who fight for their safety.

Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Quincy, Revere, Somerville and Winthrop will send teams to a five-on-five tournament hosted by the Metro Mayors Coalition as a way to celebrate a safe summer 2017, and kick off the coming school year.

The Metro Mayors Coalition, facilitated by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), is a collaborative group that brings together 13 mayors and city and town managers from the Greater Boston area to find common solutions to shared problems.

The tournament takes place from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Trum Field in Somerville, located at 541 Broadway. There will be an eight-team, 5-on-5 tournament, a 3-point contest, DJ, pizza and t-shirts. Referees and entertainers will volunteer their time, and local businesses have donated supplies such as food and basketballs for the event. The rain location is Somerville High School, 81 Highland Ave.

The tournament is funded in part by the Charles E. Shannon, Jr. Community Safety Initiative, a state grant program supported by the legislature and the Governor, which promotes a regional approach to addressing youth and gang violence throughout Massachusetts. Shannon funds provide resources to support prevention and enforcement in the battle against youth- and gang-related crime.

The Metro Mayors Shannon Grant Community Safety Initiative includes community partners such as Teen Empowerment in Somerville and Roca in Chelsea. These groups use the funding to support programs offering at-risk and court-involved youth the opportunity to turn their lives in a new direction.

The public is invited to come and cheer on their local team. For more information, contact Diego Huezo at dhuezo@mapc.org and 617-933-0711.