School-age students and their families are invited to attend the 26th annual Stop the Violence Back-to-School Rally slated for Saturday.
The event, organized by People Against Violence Enterprises (PAVE), will take place at a new venue this year – the Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center (1028 NE 14th St., Gainesville).
Magic 101.3 FM will be broadcasting live from the MLK Center starting at 8 a.m., with doors to the event opening at 9 a.m.
According to an Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) press release, the rally’s main purpose “is to provide students and families with important messages about preventing violence in schools, homes and the community.”
“Our theme this year is ‘We Won’t Stop Until the Violence Stops,’” said Rev. Karl Anderson, who founded PAVE over 25 years ago, in the release. “Although we have made significant strides in reducing gun violence in our community, we must not become complacent but instead continue our prevention efforts.”
Saturday’s rally will include entertainment, community resources and back-to-school information from ACPS on topics ranging from busing, free school meals, calendars and more.
The featured speaker for the event is WWE commentator, Byron Saxton.
Free backpacks filled with school supplies, provided by Meridian Behavioral Healthcare Services, will be handed out to the first 1,500 school-aged children in attendance.
Families can pre-register for Saturday’s rally by filling out a form at www.pavingpeace.org.
For more information about the event, call 352-363-1553.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News.