A local basketball tournament to raise awareness about the dangers of gun violence.
The Dunk and Discuss Basketball Tournament, hosted by HMCS Hunter and the Sandwich Teen Action Group (STAG), was held Friday afternoon looking to engage youth and raise awareness about the dangers of gun violence and replica firearms.
The event saw a number of community partners coming together to discuss the issue while having fun through a basketball tournament.
HMCS Hunter, STAG, as well as Windsor Police, LaSalle Police, the Windsor Express, New Beginnings, and the Windsor Port Authority were in attendance.
STAG's Guns and Gang Violence Prevention Project is a two-year initiative which aims to conduct research and surveys with individuals under 26 to determine why youth are drawn to guns and gangs.
Christie Nelson, Program Supervisor for STAG, says it's an important topic to talk about.
"Really it's about bringing together community to talk about some pressing issues, including guns and gangs prevention. While we don't necessarily have a gang problem in our City of Windsor, we're definitely trying to prevent this from happening by bringing people together to share in moments like this."
Nelson says while gangs aren't necessarily an issue locally, guns are.
"Replica guns are an issue, as well as we live in a border city, and people do bring guns across the border, and it just happens to be something that we want to prevent more of by bringing young people together to understand the harms that could happen in our community if they were to get involved with guns and gangs."
Lieutenant Commander Chris Elliott, Commanding Officer of HMCS Hunter, says it's important for local partners to come together,
"Our goal is to connect with our local community here in west Windsor and let them know that the navy exists right here in the community, and make sure that the youth in the community know that there's opportunities here, also we're a friendly face in the community for them."
Tavares Singleton, 18-year-old member with STAG, says he was glad to take part in the tournament.
"We like going to STAG, and STAG gave us a place to shoot around, find a brotherhood and friendship in those walls, and it's been great. I made a lot of friends there, met a lot of new people."
Keenyn Balasin, 19-year-old member of STAG, says STAG is a great program.
"I just learned about it this year, as I'm going it has helped me through a lot mental wise. I met a lot of new people, all of these people, a lot of new family too that I didn't know I had."
This tournament was a celebrate to mark the halfway point of STAG's Guns and Gang Violence Prevention Project.
Eight teams took part in the tournament.