Amanda Linehan
Communications Manager
617-933-0705
[email protected]
For Immediate Release: Friday, August 10, 2018
Mayors Coalition hosts annual event to combat youth crime and prevent gang violence in Metro Boston
QUINCY – Law enforcement officials, youth services workers and local teens will join together for the Annual Shannon Grant Basketball Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018 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 2018, 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 15 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 North Quincy High School, 316 Hancock St. in North Quincy, convenient to the MBTA North Quincy red line station, with parking available on Hunt Street. 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 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.
“Grants supported by the Charles E. Shannon line item provide a safe space for young people in the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable communities. Understanding the positive impact that these grants make in our cities, my colleagues in the legislature and I worked hard to secure the highest funding for this program in the past four years,” said Sen. Joseph Boncore (D-Winthrop). “I am proud of the work that these grants fund and am sure that with this appropriation we will continue to strengthen relationships between our youth and law enforcement.”
“Gang violence affects our communities, our families, and our youth,” said Rep. Adrian Madaro (D-East Boston). “Gangs ruin lives by targeting vulnerable young people in our neighborhoods. The Shannon Grant plays a critical role in reversing this trend. By funding social intervention, community mobilization, organizational change, and opportunities for our youth, the Shannon Grant addresses the most fundamental factors behind gang involvement and offers young people a path toward participation and inclusion in our communities.”
“Somerville is proud to once again take part in this wonderful event that celebrates the great partnership between our local police departments and our youth,” said Somerville Mayor and Metro Mayors Coalition Chair Joe Curtatone. “The funding provided through the Shannon Grant Community Safety Initiative is invaluable to our communities, and to the young people we serve. On occasions like the annual basketball tournament, we get to come together to celebrate that work and see just how powerful its impact can be.”
The public is invited to come and cheer on their local team. For more information, contact Diego Huezo at [email protected] and 617-933-0711.