Community Empowerment Weekend
The Play4Peace is proud to welcome our community members to an inspiring and transformative Community Empowerment Weekend, where we bring together youth, law enforcement, and community members to foster understanding, build trust, and promote positive change. The weekend kicks off with our signature event: an exhilarating all-day 3-on-3 basketball tournament that unites local youth and law enforcement officers on the court. This unique gathering goes beyond sport, serving as a powerful platform to highlight the pressing need for police reform and innovative approaches to building positive relationships between law enforcement and young people in our community. Through friendly competition and shared experiences, we aim to create an environment of mutual respect, professionalism, and dignity that can serve as a foundation for lasting change.
The empowerment continues on Sunday with The Play4Peace Initiative's thought-provoking town hall events. This forum is designed to raise awareness and build solidarity around critical issues affecting our community, including the opioid crisis, financial literacy, and the persistent disparities in generational wealth among families of color. By bringing these important topics to the forefront, we start conversations meant to educate, inspire, and empower our community members to take action and work together towards a more equitable and prosperous future for all. Join us for this weekend of unity, learning, and positive action as we strive to create a stronger, more inclusive community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
The Richard C. Landis Community Champion For Peace Award
Richard Landis was born in 1942 and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was Vietnam War veteran and a Philadelphia Police Officer. During his service as a police officer in the bomb squad, he gained a loyal following- the neighborhood children in Philadelphia. Kids would flock towards his squad car every time they saw it approach our street. Although he juggled a full-time job as a Philadelphia Police Officer, a reservist in the Air Force, and a father to four children, Uncle Rich always found time to play games with the children in the neighborhood. He was everyone’s Uncle Rich.
Uncle Rich had many talents. He spoke multiple languages and could pick up any instrument and play it. He used these talents to make friends all over the world. He died of lymphoma in November of 1991, which was a result of his exposure to Agent Orange. The loss was felt throughout the neighborhood. No longer would we see him marching down the street with a band of children following him on bikes and no longer would we hear his silly songs or play duets with him on the piano.
What was left behind was his legacy, a legacy of kindness, of service to the community, and of love for children. He will be remembered by many as the man in uniform with his own fan club, the “Uncle Richie Fan Club” and the impromptu parades he led as children followed him down the streets.
Uncle Rich embodies the spirit of Play4Peace. He broke down barriers when he protested the lack of inclusion at his high school, when he traveled to foreign lands, he learned the languages and ate the local foods, and he took the time to build relationships between the Police Force and the community.
Please join me in celebrating his memory by donating towards court sponsorship in his name. I think he would have loved this idea.
