Family Fun Day designed to present households protected house from violence

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It was a terrific Saturday afternoon to be in Ashland Square Park for the Family Fun Day hosted by the East twenty third Street PAC Neighborhood Association.

It was unattainable to overlook the quantity of smiles, laughing and dancing occurring.

“We have a clothing giveaway, we’ll have bounce houses, slides, Kona will come and give the kids ice cream,” Charlonda Riley mentioned.

Riley is the Vice President of the East twenty third Street PAC Neighborhood Association.

“We were already doing, but it’s like how can we make a difference, how can we bring about a change,” Riley mentioned. “And this was the very first event that we did, to come together in unity to try and start to implement that safe space for our community, that safe space for our children.”

Riley’s grandmother and mom have labored onerous on making this Family Fun Day occasion that protected house, after shedding one in every of their very own to violence greater than 20 years in the past.

“In 2003, my oldest brother was murdered right here in Kansas City, Missouri,” she mentioned. “After my brother was killed is when the event took place.”

Riley says her grandmother, who began the occasion, instilled in her the drive to verify she all the time reveals up for her neighborhood.

“She said, ‘Your home is not just the home you build, but it’s also your neighbors, it’s also your community, and the people around you, the people that you see everyday, the people you talk to everyday,'” Riley mentioned.

The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department experiences there have been 106 homicides in 2025 in Kansas City. Nine murder victims to this point this 12 months have been underneath the age of 17.

The division experiences 32 murder victims have been between 18 and 24 years outdated.

“I’m not new to it, but it’s painful,” Riley mentioned. “So it’s like opening up those wounds again.”

And whereas these wounds are nonetheless current, Riley says this occasion is therapeutic.

“We serve anywhere from 400-500 people every year,” Riley mentioned. “So it’s a blessing to be able to come to the community and give this back, that’s the least we can do.”

She says she desires to make others really feel that sense of therapeutic and belonging, too.

Ariel Cheatham, who introduced her two kids to the occasion, says it is good being outdoors and feeling protected.

“Nowadays, you get scared to go to church, go to the grocery store,” Cheatham mentioned. “This makes it safe and our kids get to have fun and get to know each other through the community. It’s a good idea.”

Riley hopes this occasion continues to develop and the neighborhood continues to indicate up, even by way of their ache.

“I want people to know that even when you’re going through the storm, there’s still light on the other end of the tunnel,” Riley mentioned. “You just got to keep believing and keep pushing.”

She says it takes everybody to make a distinction.

“We need to come together and try harder to fight against the crime, fight against the violence,” Riley mentioned. “People in high positions, City Hall, city council members, the mayor, the community, the neighbors, me, you, the police department. It’s just not one person that’s at fault, we all need to figure out better ways to come together to make this Kansas City a more safe and more livable space.”

For extra details about East twenty third Street PAC Neighborhood Association, click on here.