Racine anti-gun violence basketball league promotes unity
Racine anti-violence basketball league
Put The Guns Down is a basketball league promoting anti-gun violence and community unity.
RACINE, Wis. - A Racine nonprofit is using sports to bring the community together.
What we know:
The Put the Guns Down basketball dream league is entering its fifth year in Racine. The summer event gets the community out on the court, using basketball as a positive outlet.
The aim of the game is to win.
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But on this court at Racine's Dr. John Bryant Community Center, there are no real losers. Only dreamers of a better tomorrow.
Local perspective:
"We've got a lot of talented young men and women out here ready to throw down for everybody," District 2 Alderman Tyler Townsend said.
For the fifth year in a row, Isaiah "Lul Icey' Lambert sees his dream in real time, with his Put the Guns Down basketball dream league.
"It's definitely a dream come true," Lambert said. "I just wanted to do something where the community could celebrate their lives, and this is dedicated to them."
The activist and rapper said the anti-violence initiative uses basketball as a way to promote peace.
He said the idea came to him during COVID-19, when he saw an increase in gun violence. He's also pulling from personal experience.
"I was actually robbed at gunpoint at the age of 19," he said. "I had a second chance in life."
He said the summer community-sponsored event focuses on giving first, second and third chances to people through positive activities.
Dig deeper:
Meeting every Sunday for 10 weeks out of the summer.
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"It's just to get everybody outside, having fun, focused on basketball, and having fun," Angelina Ortiz said. "We're focused on something better now. Put the guns down, peaceful."
Sunday's event featured boys and girls basketball teams on the court.
There were also resource booths and opportunities to connect with local leaders.
A feature those involved say makes all the difference.
Lambert is hopeful that any future shots will be aimed at hoops.
Lambert said that since they're a nonprofit, they always look for donations to put into the initiative and the community.
What you can do:
For more information, visit the Put The Guns Down Basketball Association page.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.