City youth centers participate in Safe Haven Basketball Classic
The Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department's youth centers at Jennings, Cooper and Weisser are participating in a citywide Safe Haven Prevention week October 10 - 18, pledging to stay in shape, in school, off drugs, and out of gangs. The week's activities begin and end with great basketball games. The kick off game October 10th is at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum with the Indiana Pacers vs. the Chicago Bulls. Tip off is at 7pm.
Special recognition for five youth advocates will be held at halftime on the 10th. The people being recognized for youth basketball are Ron Holmes, Michael Ayers, Gregory Mitchell and Ron Stevenson. Denita Washington, of Lakeside Middle School, will also be recognized for her service to the Afternoons R.O.C.K. program.
The week ends with the annual Safe Haven Tourney between area youth leagues at Lakeside Middle School, beginning at 6pm October 17 and all day Saturday, October 18. The championship game begins at 8pm.
During Drug Awareness month, eight area youth-serving organizations have created special events to draw awareness to the Safe Haven network. This network includes the three Parks & Recreation Department youth centers, which have come together to form an association of multi-service centers. They provide prevention programs designed to reduce crime and restore neighborhoods, while also coordinating youth and adult services in highly visible, secure and accessible facilities. Established more than five years ago with a grant from the US Department of Justice, this network continues to serve the youth in the southeast quadrant of Fort Wayne.
Safe Havens are Jennings, Cooper, Weisser, East Wayne Street, Eagles Nest, Euell Wilson, Fort Wayne Urban League, and Old Fort YMCA.
In addition to basketball activities, the following sites are holding open houses as part of the Safe Haven Prevention Week:
Saturday, 10/11 Cooper Community Center
11am ' 3pm 2300 Clinton & Creighton Ave. (427-6728)
Sunday, 10/12 Union Baptist Church
11:30 Services 2200 Smith Street (456-3421)
Monday, 10/13 Weisser Park Youth Center
5pm ' 7pm 802 Eckart Street (427-6780)
Tuesday, 10/14 Euell Wilson Center
4pm ' 6pm 1512 Oxford Street (456-2917)
Wednesday, 10/15 Old Fort YMCA
4pm ' 6pm 2221 Reed Street (745-0541)
Thursday, 10/16 Jennings Recreation Center
4pm ' 6pm 1330 McCulloch Street (427-6700)
For more information on safe havens and how to get involved, contact Bennie Lewis, Manager of Neighborhood Programs for Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation.