A Community Committed to Lifting Up Youth and Prioritizing Safety
Jackson Square – State Representative Jeffrey Sánchez, Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Bromley Tenant Organization, and community partners hosted the Bromley-Heath Sports Jamboree on March 24th.
Attended by approximately 200 youth and family members who reside at Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, the festivities included games, activity stations, music, raffles, and basketball drills led by the City of Boston’s BCYF and Bryan Doo, former Boston Celtics Athletic Trainer. In addition to being a day of engagement, the event served as an opportunity to reflect on recent gun violence tragedies at Bromley, and the community’s dedication to ensure that safety remains the top priority.
“The catalyst of this event was the murder of Gerrod Brown in October. After that, we coalesced with the Mayor and the Tenant Organization and established priorities for what we would accomplish to help a community affected by violence. We held a series of events during the holidays and the winter months. The sports jamboree was the culmination in this series to keep youth engaged and to kick off the beginning of spring. We look forward to continuing to hold events in the summer months to provide youth opportunities to get involved and to bring the community together.”
Mildred C. Hailey Tenant Organization President Wendy Polanco led the way in bringing together residents for the event.
On a day that young people across the nation marched to galvanize a broader public safety movement through the March for Our Lives, the jamboree symbolized a similar local movement among Bromley residents to show solidarity in the face of gun violence.
An extensive coalition of community partners offered their contributions to make the day a tremendous success – Boston Police Department, Boston Housing Authority and BHA Police, Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation, Marth Eliot Health Center, Hyde Square Task Force.
Local restaurants provided a fantastic spread for all of the attendees to enjoy. Special thanks to all of the food partners – Boston Community Ventures, Chilacates, Il Pannino, Mymis Sweets, and Pollo Centro.
The jamboree marks only one chapter in the continual youth engagement at Bromley. As noted in the speaking portion of the program, events and collaborations with the youth and all residents will continue.
View event photos on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/repjeffreysanchez/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1692170244154710
