NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — The Hampton Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and Operation Ceasefire sponsored the Skate No Hate event in Newport News Friday with the aim of promoting gun violence awareness for youth and young adults.
The event included roller skating, interactives games, resources on gun violence prevention and intervention and free food and giveaways.
Keyanna Young, Operation Ceasefire Coordinator with Hampton’s Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office told 10 On Your Side why the event was important.
“The youth and young adult individuals, they need preventative measures with their lifestyle,” she said. “They need to know that they need to trust law enforcement. As far as the intervention component, we know that they’re experiencing crimes, they’re being victims. They’re witnessing these incidents, so we want to provide them with any type of resource that we have so they know that we do care in the community.”
Speaking before the event, she said she expected a large crowd, remembering a similar anti-gun violence event they had last year.
“We provided gun locks,” she said, “and we also have lots at this event as well. But we provided a lot of resources to the community.”
She hoped to also educate kids about community groups, as well as those within the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office, that can help them stay safe.
“We have a lot of programs with our city, but I’m not sure people are aware of them,” she said. “They can come and skate and hear the message about what Ceasefire is trying to do within the community to stop the gun violence that we are experiencing.”
They plan on holding another anti-gun violence event this summer.
It’s called Your Commonwealth Cares: Beyond the Bullet Youth Summit.
It’ll be held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center on June 15.
For more information, visit the city of Hampton’s Commonwealth’s Attorney’s social media pages.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
