Annual Stop the Violence Back to School Rally set for July 25
Press release from Alachua County Public Schools
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alachua County children and their families are invited to attend the annual Stop the Violence Back to School Rally on Saturday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to noon. Doors will open at 9 a.m.
The event will be held in the gym of Santa Fe College’s northwest campus at 3000 NW 83rd Street. The event is once again being organized by People Against Violence Enterprises (PAVE) and is supported by a wide variety of local sponsors. This year will mark the 27th year the Rally has been held.
The theme for this year’s Rally is “Love Shouldn’t Hurt,” focusing on domestic violence. Recent rallies have been primarily centered around gun violence.
“This year, we’re not changing our mission—we’re expanding it,” said Reverend Karl Anderson, founder and president of PAVE. “Because of the recent increase in reported domestic violence incidents throughout our city and county, we felt compelled to broaden our focus beyond gun violence. Our goal is to equip youth and families with the education, resources, and support they need to build healthier relationships, stronger families, and brighter futures.”
The Stop the Violence event will feature entertainment and other speakers, as well as information provided by community organizations about safety, counseling, and other topics. Representatives from Alachua County Public Schools will also be at the event to provide back-to-school information on topics including free school meals, transportation, calendars, enrollment, and more.
The first 5000 school-aged children in attendance will receive a free backpack filled with school supplies, provided by Meridian Behavioral Healthcare. Children must be present to receive the backpacks. There are no limits to how many children may attend.
More information about the Rally is available at www.pavingpeace.org
Check your guns at the door, hopefully there won’t be an violence at a Stop the Violence get together. So glad we didn’t have to have stuff like this when I went to school.
Great event for all of Gainesville for over 25 years!
Wait. Wasn’t this the guy who said, “Time to die b**ch?” AND instead of getting kicked off the team and out of school, was only suspended a few games? It’s been a while so I MAY be mistaken.