By: Isaiah Showell, Follow South Jersey Multimedia Journalist/’What’s Good’ Host
MILLVILLE, N.J. — Millville’s Union Lake hosted the second annual Players vs. Gangs & Guns basketball event earlier this week.
The main event of the day was a game between Team Positive Vibes, representing Millville, and Team Life Worth Living, which represented Bridgeton. Life Worth Living ended up winning by a final score of 42-31, but the event was about so much more than basketball.
JT Burks, one of Cumberland County’s most prominent community leaders, served as the referee for the game, and he shared some of his main motivations for helping organize the event.
“We just want to continue to raise awareness about keeping gangs, guns, and drugs off our streets,” Burks, who serves as President of the Positive Vibes Community Group, said, “and continue to make this a safe atmosphere and environment for our youth and their families.”
Millville mayor Michael Santiago attended the event, which has his “100% support.” He was thrilled to see the younger players having fun and coming together as a community.
“I always got to go back to the volunteers that we have, like JT Burks and the coaches that are involved,” Santiago said. “Because of them, this is why we have this. All we’re doing is supplying a place for them to go. This is such a great event.”
John Fuqua, the founder of local nonprofit Life Worth Living, noted that a lot of the competitors at the event have lost family members and loved ones as a result of drug use and gun violence. The event stresses the importance of not just making better choices regarding gang affiliation, drug use, and gun violence, but also honoring the memory of those who lost their lives.
This community event was definitely What’s Good in South Jersey this week!
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