Michelle Turner Photo
Andrew Smith changes the net between games.
A basketball tournament Saturday at DeGale Field (in Goffe Street Park) brought back decades worth of good vibes and hanging-out memories, but with a more contemporary and urgent reason for gathering — the violence taking the lives of young men from the neighborhood, in this case 31-year-old Donell Allick, the former basketball standout gunned down last month.
A crowd filled the park all afternoon, walking, eating, and watching the action on the courts, and raising money for Allick’s 12-year-old son’s college fund.
The event, held from noon to 8 p.m., featured hoops, music, vendors and music. NBA player Ryan Gomes, a former Providence standout in his own right and now with the Los Angeles Clippers, was in attendance. Balloons were to be released later in the day in Donell’s memory.
Even though teams sported different T‑shirts of blue, orange and red, they all contained the message of the day: “Stop The Violence, Start The Love.” Love was indeed the message, and the vibe, in the park.
Organizers wore white T‑shirts silkscreened with the slogan “SWAG.” The urban dictionary defines the term as “appearance, style, or the way one carries themselves.” The T‑shirts offered a different definition: “Someone With Ambitious Goals.
DeArie Allick, Donell’s brother, said the planning for the event began after his brother’s funeral. He said the purpose of the event was to show the community that “we can come together without violence, and we can have a fun event, and not have no arguments, no smoking, no fighting, no drinking. No negative;all positive energy here.”
DeArie was asked about his brother’s fatal end. “He got gunned down; I really don’t know the story and I don’t want to know the story, ‘cause it only results in one thing — he’s gone, y’know?”
He paused, then continued.
“He was a good dude; I really can’t explain it … He was a good person. It’s a subject that I don’t like touching. Everybody’s got their flaws, but…”
He said he plans to organize more events at the park, the next one on July 30. “Goffe Street used to be a monumental place‑, and I wanna bring that back to the city.”
I don't want to know. That shows all one needs to know. ... Wasted great talent and a chance for free top notch education. Let's ignore that. Let's believe his brother had no idea. But why are the attendees wearing gang symbols? ...