On a sunny Saturday afternoon in the City of Chester, the community came out in droves to attend Team S.T.R.I.V.E.’s first Ball Against Violence Basketball Tournament on June 3rd. Strive is a grass- roots Chester-based organization that saw a need for action as opposed to rhetoric and decided to band together its various strengths and skills to open a dialog with the youth of the community; and also provide a recreational outlet. Strive stands for ‘Strengthening Ties & Reinvigorating Individuals Until Violence Ends.’ Team members Darien Laws, Jamil Cottman, Dana Bowser, Brother Nume Blanch, Lisha Long, Lorraine Lavender-Sams, Dr. Lisa Dennis, and Sister Rashida Muhammad.
Multiple food truck vendors offered an array of culinary delights, including burgers, hotdogs, hot sausages, fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, along with various other delicious snack foods.
For those who weren’t interested in dropping hoops, there were bouncy houses for the smaller children, horseback rides for those inclined to equestrian sports, and just that overall pleasant vibe of spending a pleasant Saturday afternoon outdoors with family, neighbors, and friends. Horses were provided courtesy of the People’s Farm. Residents were delighted. In addition to all of the other activities, Zumba workouts were led by Dana Bowers, a member of the S.T.R.I.V.E. Team and an avid Zumba practitioner of the cardio and Latin-inspired dance.
Chester Upland School Coach remarked on how amazing the event was.
Vendors from Keystone First, IBX, EDSI, CRCQ Air Quality, Office of the Delaware County District Attorney, and Eric Bayne with the Office of the Reentry City of Chester.
The S.T.R.I.V.E. Team would like to thank all the members of the community who came out to support this initiative. We look forward to seeing you at future events. Thank you to State Representative Carol Kazeem, Laborer’s Local 413, Chester, …
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