Milwaukee gun violence prevention celebrity basketball game
MILWAUKEE - "Shoot Hoops, Not Bullets" was the anti-gun violence message a Milwaukee nonprofit pushed for on Saturday.
The nonprofit Cream Skills Inc. held a celebrity basketball game at Mount Mary University to raise money for its youth programming. Organizers hoped to raise awareness, too.
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"We had a lot of gun violence going on," said Nigel Harvey, Cream Skills Inc. executive director.
Cream Skills Inc. promotes entrepreneurship to underprivileged youth through sports.
Cream Skills Inc. "Shoot Hoops, Not Bullets" celebrity basketball game
"We teach our players life skills, entrepreneurship skills, health enrollment skills," Harvey said.
Harvey said his staff has felt the effects of recent gun violence in Milwaukee. It has even killed two players.
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"If you lost somebody to gun violence, we are with you," said Harvey.
The Shoot Hoops, Not Bullets game brought out local leaders, media personalities and local celebrities like Myron Jewell who have seen the impact violence has on young people.
"Playing basketball keeps a lot of kids out of trouble, keeps them out of the streets," said Jewell, an actor and comedian.
Jewell hopes familiar faces like his own can inspire the kids Cream Skills Inc. aims to help.
"Doing things like this, I feel like it helps all of us – grownups, kids," he said. "We can talk to them, give them some game, and just let them know, ‘eh, stay in school, leave the guns alone, leave the drugs alone.'"
Cream Skills basketball mentors Milwaukee youth: 'Daily mission'
The players bring polished skill sets to the games, and Cream Skills Inc. makes sure that's not the be all and end all for hoopers.
Radio host Tory Lowe with 101.7 The Truth said events like Shoot Hoops, Not Bullets pave the way to a brighter future, because a little goes a long way.
"We’re always talking about children and what they’re not doing, but now these are children that need our help, and we should be involved," he said. "The world would be a much better place if we’re all able to do a little bit. My saying is, if everybody does a little, nobody has to do a lot."
Organizers said this was just the inaugural event, and they plan on doing more next year. The nonprofit hopes to raise $10,000 for more programming. Information on how to donate via PayPal or Cash App can be found on the organization's website.