On Friday, Chicago Indoor Sports facility at 3900 S. Ashland Ave. echoed with screams of excitement. “Snoop Dogg” is what the group of youth chosen to attend a special event with the iconic rapper chanted!
by Jordane Frazier On Friday, Chicago Indoor Sports facility at 3900 S. Ashland Ave. echoed with screams of excitement. “Snoop Dogg” is what the group of youth chosen to attend a special event with the iconic rapper chanted! The Windows of Opportunity organization and the Chicago Housing Authority teamed up with platinum-selling rapper Snoop Dogg for the School is Cool Back-to-School Scholarship fundraiser for students living in CHA properties. The event, now in its fourth year here, promotes education and sports as an alternative to violence youth. Snoop Dogg and The Snoop Youth Football League, which has been successfully running out of the rapper’s home state of California for 6 years now, have plans to launch a Chicago chapter of the football league next year. Snoop, along with the Windows of Opportunity organization and the CHA, hope the football program will also be an engaging alternative to violence. “Today to me is about just recognizing and realizing where we come from and what we need to do to get to a better place,” Snoop Dogg explained to the smiling sea of kids looking up at him. “I’m tired of hearing about the negativity and violence out in Chicago. I’m ready to here about the positivity and the great things that you guys are going to do in this community.” During the fundraiser event, youth enjoyed a variety of activities including soccer, face-painting, prize-winning games, and of course football. Snoop Dogg joined a small group of boys on the “gridiron” Friday. With his high energy and down-to-earth personality he ran, dove, and even fell with the boys a few times despite the extremely warn weather inside and outside the facility. “You gone fall,” Snoop said while wiping sweat from his forehead. “It’s all part of the game.” The rapper, more known for his gritty and salacious song lyrics, was a hit among the children, hugging and slapping hands with everybody he could reach. Event organizers were openly proud to have Snoop Dogg’s support and presence. “We have Chicago artists right here in our city that won’t be here for you like Snoop is today” Crystal Brown Black, a Windows of Opportunity member and organizer of the event, exclaimed to the audience. The event attracted other celebrities as well including football legend and Super Bowl XX MVP Richard Dent and former Chicago Bears linebacker Otis Wilson, who shared words of encouragement with the youth. The Chicago chapter of the Snoop Youth Football League for boys between the ages of 8 and 14 is set to kickoff during the 2011 season. The league is currently looking for partnerships to sponsor a set venue here for the program. “I’m just trying to get the kids to understand that they have to work with each other and the only way we can stop the violence out here in Chicago is if we become one team” said Snoop. “And one team that I know is the Snoop Youth Football League.” Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender Photo: Defender/Dominic Brown
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