NBC / Telemundo Chicago & ALLVOI / WDT Host Community Town Hall To Help Keep Children Safe From Gangs & Gun Violence This Summer
Chicago, IL – June 19, 2009 – NBC Chicago, Telemundo Chicago, World Discount Telephone (WDT) and ALLVOI hosted a community forum on Friday, June 19th to offer information, resources and empowerment to local parents, families and businesses on ways to keep children safe this summer from gangs, crime and gun violence.
NBC Chicago reporter Alex Perez, moderated a panel of community activists and experts that included Father Bruce Wellems, Pastor, Holy Cross & Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Elena Quintana, Director of Evaluation for the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Chicago Police Department Commander Roy, and John Lausch, representative of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Project Safe Neighborhood.
The event held in Chicago’s Back of the Yards Community drew a crowd of local residents who were eager to ask questions and share their own personal stories. Among those engaged included Maya, a seven-year-old student, who asked the panel what she should do if a gang member asked her to join their gang; and a worried and angry father who asked what to do about “gang-bangers” who lived next door to his home.
Among those featured at the event were the ALLVOI Racing Team, a bicycle racing team based in the Chicago suburbs, who participate in ABR and USCF sanctioned road, track, and cycle cross events. Membersof the ALLVOI team served as positive role models to the students of Agustine Lara Academy. After the town hall, they surprised the audience by raffling off two bikes (valued $1,000+) to two children from the school.
“WDT and ALLVOI recognizes its obligation as a corporate citizen to help our youth achieve a better life and there’s no better way than do so then working through local schools and communities,” says Andrew Plocienniczak, WDT/ALLVOI COO. “Our multinational bicycle racing team is a great example of a healthy alternative for kids in communities where they face gun and gang violence. This is just a small part as to how we would like to contribute to the communities in which our customers live and work.
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