Mayor's Night programming for youth returns at a 'crucial time' in Kansas City

Mayor's Night programs offer lots of choices

A CITY TRADITION MORETHAN 20 YEARS OLD ISBACK --MAYOR'S NIGHT.THE GOAL IS TO GIVE KIDSA SAFE PLACE WHERETHEY CAN BETHEMSELVES.SINCE THE PROGRAMEXPANDED IN 2013 - THEPARKS AND RECDEPARTMENT SAYS THEYIMMEDIATELY SAW ADECREASE IN YOUTHARRESTS AROUND THECITY.41 ACTION NEWS ANCHORGABRIELLA PAGAN SHOWSUS HOW THIS SIMPLE ACTIS CHANGING LIVES.Roosevelt Lyons/ Deputy Dir.

KCParks & Rec"You can't tell kids where theycan't go you have to tell themwhere they can go."THE ANNUAL ROLL OUT OFMAYOR'S NIGHT COMES ATwhat some call a crucial TIME.Lyons"The idea that there has to bethe safe place for kids to goand to express themselvesand to have fun is moreimportant because they'regoing to do it the questionwhere do they do it and willthey do it someplace safe?"Devion Blackwell/ Goes by King DFOR 13 YEAR OLD DEVIONBLACKWELL - PUTTING LIEXPERIENCES ANDEMOTIONS INTO RAP GIVESHIM AN OUTLET.Blackwell"I just want to show the worldwhat I can do and stop gunviolence."FOR SOME - MAYOR'SNIGHT MEANS GIVING BACKTO THE ORGANIZATIONTHAT GAVE TO THEM.Michael Rose-Ivey/ Lincoln PrepFootball Coach" this is actually prettyspecialto me, this organization wasthe organization I played forwhen I was in Little League."Lyons"With the current unrest rightnow there is a lot of tensionno matter where you go so it'seven more important to havethese positive interactionswith kids we have KCPD hereat all of our sites that'sprobably one of the biggestbenefits there's officerstalkingto kids and back-and-forth."BUT IN THE MIDST OFCOVID HOW WIHEALTH AND SAFETY BEMANAGED?FOR STARTERS THEREWILL BE NO CONTACTSPORTS THIS SUMMTHINK MORE SKILLS THANDRILLS.SOCIAL ACTIVITIES WILLLOOK DIFFERENT TOOLyons"Before there was music,there was dancing and a lot ofhot sweaty teenagers allpacked into one space, uh, alittle different these days, wehave much more isolatedactivities arts activitiesindividual activities again."DOING SO BECAUSE THEYSAY THEY HAVE ARESPONSIBILITY TO THEYOUTH OF THE CITY.Rose-Ivy" you know you have to beprepared to be that secondthird parent and either way ifthey had both parents, oneparent, no parent, in the fostersystem, it takes a villageIN KC, GP, 41 ACTIONNEWS