Lynn group steering youth from violence

LYNN – Stop the Violence: Lynn, a group of nine very different people with one common goal, will be leading a peaceful march through the streets of the city for the second time this September.This is the group’s second year working to prevent violence in Lynn. There are also events planned to promote its message and help the city’s youth see that there are alternatives to violence.School administrator Michael Geary, Peter Holey of the Lynn Police Department, Ebony White of Centerboard, Rachel Bradley, girls’ basketball coach for Lynn English, Ward 6 councilor Peter Capano, school committee member John Ford, Lynn Youth Street Outreach advocate Antonio Gutierrez, Rob Smith of Lynn Tech and Fred Hogan, former Lynn English girls’ basketball coach, are all part of an organization that started in January 2014.”What makes us different than any other committee is that we have a roundtable discussion,” said Ford. “There are no heads. Everybody brings their ideas to the table and we discuss them and decide what to move forward with.””The diversity on the committee is what we wanted,” Gutierrez said.The committee members come from different backgrounds, do all different kinds of jobs and have been involved with the community in different ways, he said.Even so, “we’re all here for the same reason,” said Hogan.”It started with a meeting at Dunkin’ Donuts,” said Gutierrez. The meeting was with Gutierrez, Smith, Hogan, Ford and Capano. “Freddy was upset about the violence.”There were some shootings in the city and (the victims) were kids that we knew that played sports,” he said. “It struck us that there was something we could do to curb violence and show kids stuff to do that would be positive in their lives.”Together the group members began to brainstorm ideas, something the group still does at roundtable meetings to this day. They began planning events for children and teens that would keep them away from violent situations and give them purpose in activities and sports.The group has had two 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, which give children a place to play, watch, hang out and have pizza.It also hosted a march last September, originally hoping for more than 100 people from various sports leagues and Lynn schools to participate. Members worked with Lynn Police to organize the event that would span from Lynn English to City Hall, using the city’s sidewalks.Their goals were blown out of the water when the group unexpectedly received a tremendous amount of support from the community and realized that what they were doing could really make a difference, they said.As they were marching down the various streets, residents saw them coming and began jumping in.”People started coming out of their houses with their kids and their families and joining in,” said Hogan.The group’s plans to keep the march on the sidewalk were tossed away and people began filling the streets to walk with the group. The 100 people that they expected quickly turned into around 500, the committee said.”Lynn Police have been behind us 100 percent,” said Smith. “They provided a police presence. They went above and beyond.”A Facebook page “Stop the Violence: Lynn” already has 640 members.This year, Stop the Violence is hosting its second annual march Sept. 26, which will be held in memory of Ashlee Berryman, who was killed at a bar in Everett last month.”It’s the second annual walk for peace,” said Gutierrez. “It will be in memory of Ashlee, who was a Lynn Tech graduate.”Smith talked with Berryman’s family members about holding the event in her honor and they plan to walk in the march. Her brother will also speak at the end of the event.This year’s march will begin in West Lynn at 4 p.m. at Barry Park. There is no registration required to participate. Those who wish to march can simply show up. Committee members will be identified by orange shirts.In addition to the march, Ford arranged for U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz to come to Lynn to speak with middle school students about