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Cincinnati Police Sponsor Summer Bowling Program to Reduce Youth Violence

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Cincinnati Police Sponsor Summer Bowling Program to Reduce Youth Violence

IN 2021, WE’RE DOING SOMETHING TONIGHT WITH A PROGRAM THAT’S HELPING KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. A LOCAL POLICE OFFICER PROVES THAT BOWLING IS MORE THAN JUST A GAME. WLWT NEWS FIVE’S CURTIS COURTIS IS WITH US NOW TO EXPLAIN THE STORY. HEY, CURTIS. HI. CHRIS, THAT’S A GREAT STORY. YOU KNOW, TEN WEEKS IN THE SUMMER, ONE OF CINCINNATI’S BEST FOUND A WAY TO GET THE ATTENTION OF DOZENS OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN A NOT-SO-TRADITIONAL WAY. THAT’S WHAT ACTUALLY KEEPS ME OUT OF THE WAY. I ACTUALLY GREW UP BOWLING HERE IN MADISON BOWL. SINCE I WAS NINE YEARS OLD. SO SAID EXPERIENCED CINCINNATI POLICE SERGEANT ANTHONY MITCHELL, WHO RUNS THE SUMMER BOWLING PROGRAM FOR YOUTH. WELCOME TO THE THIRD YEAR OF THE RISING STAR YOUTH BOWLING PROGRAM. WE ARE GIVING OUR YOUTH SOMETHING POSITIVE TO DO. THIS IS SUMMER MADNESS. VIOLENCE THAT CAUSES NIGHTMARE DURING THE DAY FOR WAY TOO MANY KIDS. ONE REASON WHY SERGEANT MITCHELL SAYS HIS PROGRAM IS NECESSARY. WHAT TO DO WITH OUR YOUTH? GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO ALL SUMMER WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT. AND THIS IS SUCH A PROGRAM. THERE ARE NOT MANY PROGRAMS THESE DAY THAT ARE COMPLETELY FREE. THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR FOR THE RISING STAR YOUTH BOWLING PROGRAM, BUT IT’S SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST LEARNING TO BOWLING. YOU LEARN SOME LIFE LESSONS AS WELL. REGINA SHENAULT HAS BROUGHT HER GRANDCHILD EVERY YEAR. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS, A NEGATIVE ENERGY OUT THERE THAT WE NEED TO BRING POSITIVE ENERGY TO OUR COMMUNITY TO SAVE SOME OF OUR CHILDREN. THEY NEED SAVINGS, SAYS BLAKE JONES. HE’S ONE OF THE RESCUED. HE ENTERED THE PROGRAM, GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, GOT A SCHOLARSHIP, AND CAME BACK THIS YEAR TO VOLUNTEER. SHE GAVE ME A CHANCE AND I DIDN’T KNOW THE CHANCE WOULD HELP ME. I DIDN’T KNOW THAT COMING HERE WOULD IMPROVE MY LIFE. SO I THINK IF IT CAN IMPROVE MY LIFE, IT CAN IMPROVE YOUR LIFE TOO. THIS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY IS LIKE A MARRIAGE. WE CAN’T LET EACH OTHER DOWN. WE WILL HAVE OUR GOOD DAYS AND WE WILL HAVE OUR BAD DAYS. YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING FOR THIS SUMMER BOWLING PROGRAM COMES IN PART FROM POLICE FORCEPS, MONEY FROM PROPERTY OR ASSETS FROM ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES SEIZED BY THE POLICE. THE CHILDREN GET A FREE MEAL EACH WEEK AND EACH FIRST YEAR PARTICIPANT RECEIVES SPECIAL DRILLING, A BOWLING BALL, PARENT INVOLVEMENT IS ALSO ENCOURAGED AND THEY RECEIVE INFORMATION ON BOWLING, SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS FOR COLLEGE TO HELP STUDENTS. JUST LIKE BLAKE, WHO IS NOW A BUSINESSMAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

Cincinnati Police Sponsor Summer Bowling Program to Reduce Youth Violence

A program is helping keep young people on the right track. A local police officer is proving bowling is more than just a game. “Actually, it’s what kept me from getting in trouble. I grew up here at Madison Bowl, and I’ve been bowling since I was 9,” said Anthony Mitchell. Mitchell has been a Cincinnati police sergeant for 19 years. He runs this summer bowling program for young people. He said it’s a way to give youth something positive to do. Mitchell said his program is needed to keep young people off the dangerous streets. “What do we do with our youth? Do we give them something to do all summer long when school’s out? And this program is so — there aren’t many programs like this that are completely free,” Mitchell said. This is the third year of the Rising Star youth bowling program, but it’s so much more than just learning to bowl. Mitchell said you learn some life lessons along the way, too. Funding for the summer bowling project comes in part from police confiscation funds, property or assets from illegal activities confiscated by police. The children receive a free meal each week and each first-year participant receives a specially drilled bowling ball. Parental involvement is also encouraged. Parents are provided with information about college bowling scholarship funds to help students.

CINCINNATI —

A program is helping keep young people on the right track. A local police officer is proving that bowling is more than just a game.

“Actually, that’s what’s kept me out of trouble. I grew up here at Madison Bowl and have been bowling since I was nine years old,” Anthony Mitchell said.

Mitchell has been a police sergeant in Cincinnati for 19 years. He runs this summer bowling program for young people.

He said it was a way to give the youth positive employment. Mitchell said his program was necessary to keep young people off the dangerous streets.

“What can we do with our youth? Give them something to do when they’re out of school for the summer? And this program is something like that, there aren’t many programs like this that are completely free,” Mitchell said.

The Rising Star youth bowling program is in its third year, but it’s about much more than just learning to bowl. Mitchell said there are some life lessons to be learned along the way, too.

The summer bowling project is funded in part by police confiscation funds, i.e. property or assets from illegal activities that have been confiscated by the police.
The children receive a free meal each week and each first-year participant receives a bowling ball with a personalized hole.

Parental involvement is also encouraged. Parents are provided with information about bowling college scholarship funds to assist students.

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