February’s robbery at gunpoint of a teenage boy in Boitanio Park was the last straw for John-Paul Albinati.
“It’s sad when something happens like what happened in the park that day,” Albinati said. “It was a 14-year-old boy’s birthday and three adults robbed him of a bike. The bike was his birthday present.”
The Williams Lake man said he talked with the teenage victim’s family and decided it’s time for the community to step up to the plate and make the park a safe place for kids.
Toward that aim, Albinati, along with his friend Jess Bennett and Mark Savard of Red Shred’s Bike and Board Shed, are organizing a day in the park for people to network on Sunday, April 3 from 1 to 4 p.m.
“It’s all about showcasing what’s out there because no child should be afraid to use the facilities provided for them,” Albinati said. “If we can get the community together we can show that there’s no reason for 11,000 people to be afraid of the 30 people doing the crimes.”
Agencies such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boys and Girls Club, the RCMP, community policing and Bikers Against Child Abuse will be at the park that day and other agencies or clubs wanting to attend can set up a table and bring some pamphlets along as well, he said.
“To quote Red Green, we are all in this together. If people donated even one hour of their time a week for even park patrol we would have thousands of hours to make our city a safer place,” he said.
Albinati has taken out a permit with the city to use the entire park and said there will be entertainment from the local rock and roll band One in the Chamber, skateboarding and a barbecue hosted by GM.
In the meantime, Travis Anthony and his friends are still going ahead with the peace rally, bike and skateboard jam also planned for the skate park Saturday, March 26, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Anthony too is inspired to make the park a safer place for youth.