‘Events like this to bring people together’: Block party brings family-friendly summer fun to Garfield Park

Jewell Hillery
·2 min read
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CHICAGO — With summer just around the corner, community organizations teamed up to offer West Side families a fun and safe way to spend their Saturday.

The “Peace in the Streets” Summer Block Party took over part of Garfield Park this weekend. The fun, family-friendly event was the first of three planned for communities across the city this summer.

“It’s really a positive vibe and I like it,” event attendee Thelma Gafford said.

The event, which was hosted by WGCI-FM and 1-800-Truckwreck, is the first of several block parties set to take place during the summer months.

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“We don’t want to forget about the West Side because usually that’s the side that, you know, people forget about. We’re usually on the South Side or in the suburbs, but we want to make sure that we are on the West Side,” Maya Hightower, Director of Community Relations at Witherite Law Group, said.

Before the block party started, several children enjoyed a baseball clinic.

“V103’s Joe Soto is really passionate about baseball, we had a baseball camp out here for a lot of young people and they also got free gloves, bats, balls,” WGCI personality Tone Kapone said.

According to recent CPD statistics, violent crimes in District 11, where Garfield Park is located, are down by 19% over the past year. Residents in the area hope that the trend continues heading into summer.

“It’s a lot of kids that lose their lives during the summertime and a lot of people period, but if we can just get along it’ll be just great,” Gafford said.

Along with all of the perks associated with a block party, several community organizations attended the event, including Girls Inc., a nonprofit that offers mentorship and exposes young girls to a range of opportunities.

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“We go on different field trips and experience different categories like STEM, anything that you are interested in,” La’Keyla Grant, from Girls Inc., said.

Residents say it makes a positive impact when events like this come around.

“It keeps a lot of kids out of trouble. It’s so much violence you know and they need events like this to bring people together,” Jacqueline Boyd, who attended the event, said.

The next “Peace in the Streets” block party is set to take place on June 29 in North Lawndale, another event will also be held on the South Side at Saint Sabina Church in August.

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