Parks and Recreation press release:
City Youth Centers Participate in Safe Haven Classic:
Basketball tourney is the culmination of Safe Haven Prevention Week
The Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department’s youth centers at Jennings, Cooper and Weisser are participating in a citywide Safe Haven Prevention week October 19 – 24, pledging to stay in shape, in school, off drugs, and out of gangs. The week’s activities begin with open houses at the three park sites and end with the exciting championship basketball game at Lakeside Middle School.
The open houses will be held from 5 – 7pm at Jennings, October 19; Weisser, October 20; and Cooper on October 21. In addition to the open houses, all safe havens will participate in the “Lights On After School Showcase” on October 22.
The week culminates with the annual Safe Haven Tourney between area youth centers at Lakeside Middle School, Prime Time Youth Center, Old Fort YMCA, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne, beginning Friday at 6pm, October 23 and all day Saturday, October 24. The championship game at Lakeside Middle School begins at 7:30 pm.
During Drug Awareness month, eight area youth-serving organizations have created special events to draw awareness to the Safe Haven network. This network includes the three Parks & Recreation Department youth centers, which have come together to form an association of multi-service centers. They provide prevention programs designed to reduce crime and restore neighborhoods, while also coordinating youth and adult services in highly visible, secure and accessible facilities. Established more than six years ago with a grant from the US Department of Justice, this network continues to serve the youth in the southeast quadrant of Fort Wayne.
Safe Havens are Jennings, Cooper, Weisser, Boys & Girls Clubs, Eagles Nest, Euell Wilson, Fort Wayne Urban League, and Old Fort YMCA Prime Time Youth Center.
In addition to basketball activities, the following sites are holding open houses as part of Safe Haven Prevention Week:
- Monday, 10/19: Jennings Recreation Center at 1330 McCulloch Street (427-6700)
- Tuesday, 10/20: Weisser Park Youth Center at 802 Eckart Street (427- 6780)
- Wednesday, 10/21: Cooper Community Center at 2300 Clinton & Creighton Ave. (427-6728)
- Thursday, 10/22 Allen County Public Library “Lights On After School Showcase”
For more information on safe havens and how to get involved, contact Bennie Lewis, Manager of Neighborhood Programs for Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation.
Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation is now on Facebook.
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