TOLEDO, Ohio — People at the forefront of trying to curb violence in the streets of Toledo are preparing to march for change this weekend.
This march is organized by Save our Community, the same group that works as Toledo's violence interrupters along with the NAACP and the Metroparks.
The goal is to not only show that Toledoans are not okay with violence,
but also to connect people to positive ways to get involved.
The football field sounds like a strange place to start, but the students, all eighth grade or younger, will be the smiling faces volunteering at St. Martin De Porres for this Saturday's Peace rally - and the adults are used to wearing many hats.
"You know we always meet adversity head-on and we're willing to be the security guards, we're willing to be the coaches, we're willing to be whatever we need to be to keep something positive going," said Brandon White, co- commissioner of TESA.
TESA stands for Toledo Elite Student Athletics. It's a football league that also requires athletes to keep their grades up and set a good example.
"We practice discipline, time management; I do grade check sheets for my kids because without school, you can't have sports," White said.
They're teaming up with LaMishyia Hudson and Save Our Community to send the message that violence is not welcome in Toledo
"It's not just about reducing the gun violence, it's also about creating community. A lot of what we're doing is trying to let the community know that we are there for them and let them know we have those things in place to act as deterrents," Hudson said.
Things like football.
When they first came up with this idea, it was important that the entire community get involved, but they specifically wanted to elevate the voices of youth.
"It's an opportunity for them to voice their concern about what's happening because they are highly impacted by gun violence," Hudson said.
The Peace Rally is this Saturday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The march will begin in the old Lincoln Elementary School parking lot and end at St. Martin De Porres where there will be food and activities for kids.