About this Event
Stop the Violence; Start the Conversation
Benefitting The Christian Roberts Foundation
Come join us at the Mary Virginia Merrick Recreation Center for an important event focused on addressing violence in our communities. Let's come together to have open and honest conversations about how we can make a difference. Together, we can create a safer and more peaceful environment for everyone. Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of the solution. See you there!
DMV Artists v. DMV Culture - Join the family, friends, and loved ones of Chrisitan Roberts for a community town hall and legacy basketball game to raise awareness and funding for gun violence prevention, gun violence victim support, and mental health services throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
About the Game (indoors)
DC, MD, and VA (DMV) leaders in culture and community together for a multi-generational indoor basketball game at the Mary Virginia Merrick Recreation Center in Washington, D.C.
About the Town Hall
In 2023, there were 274 lives lost in homicides in D.C. - a 36% increase from the previous year and a 20-year high. According to Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) statistics homicides are down 31% and violent crime has slipped 10% compared to this time, however, D.C. still ranks fifth-highest M**der rate among the country's most populous cities. Some studies appear to support a clear link between mental illness and violence, whereas other studies support the notion that alcohol and drug abuse, not psychiatric illness per se, contribute to violence risk among adults with mental disorders. As a result, there is considerable controversy in the mental health field regarding how to best interpret the link between mental illness and violence. Therefore, instead of debating among ourselves, the Christian Roberts Foundation is organizing a community town hall to facilitate a productive conversation with community leaders, city officials, victim families, subject matter experts, and residents surrounding the potential correlations and the known impact of mental health and gun violence.
Christian's Story
Born in May 1994, Christian Deon Roberts grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland with his parents and two older siblings. After high school, Christian attended and graduated from Stevenson University with a Bachelor of Science degree and was a star basketball player with a bright future.
Full of life with a charming smile, Christian, a natural born leader, loved God, people, playing basketball, and often sought to make an impact on everyone he encountered.
Tragically, on January 28, 2019, Chrisitan was prematurely taken from us in a vicious act of gun violence against him and his childhood friend, Jordan Radway.
In his honor, Christian's family launched the Christian Roberts Foundation as a subsidiary of People Do Care, Inc. The Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) focusing on deterring youth violence, providing school supplies and financial support directly to students who have been affected by gun violence, and improving the lives of the homeless community by providing shoes, socks, and meals.
Your Support Funds Community Programs
Stop The Violence
This program for middle school and high school students is designed to provide conflict-resolution strategies and skills to reduce aggressive behavior and prevent violence.
Shoe Drives
The Foundation provides shoes, socks, toiletries, and other personal products to the homeless community or others in need, free of charge, in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area.
Scholarships
The Christian Roberts Scholarship Program was established by The Roberts Family in 2019. The scholarship fund is to support young men or women who have been victims of gun violence and their families, such as siblings, who are active in their community and desire to attend a trade school or college in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area.
Donations Help Support
The Christian Roberts Foundation
The Christian Roberts Foundation has care and compassion for the communities by being advocates against violence and supporting victims of gun violence to let them know that they are not alone and that there are people who care and are concerned for their well-being. They are invested in your hope for the future.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Mary Virginia Merrick Recreation Center, 4275 4th Street Southeast, Washington, United States
USD 0.00 to USD 23.18