In a show of solidarity among youth and those who fight for their safety, law enforcement officials, youth services workers, and local teens will team up for the seventh Metro Mayors Basketball Tournament Saturday in Somerville.
The 5-on-5 tourney will include teams from Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, and Winthrop.
The Metro Mayors Coalition, facilitated by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, is a collaborative group that brings together 13 mayors and town managers from Greater Boston to find common solutions to shared problems.
The tourney is slated to run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Trum Field, 541 Broadway, between Ball and Magoun squares. The event will also include a 3-point contest, along with a DJ and dancing. Referees and entertainers will volunteer their time, and local businesses have donated supplies such as food and basketballs. The rain site is Somerville High. The tournament is funded in part by the Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative.
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“Senator Shannon was a tireless advocate for our youngest and often most vulnerable residents, and through the grant in his name, youth from the Metro Boston region have benefitted immensely through programs and activities like the upcoming basketball tournament,” said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, chairman of the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition. “By bringing youth and police officers together through positive interactions and programs, we are not only strengthening their relationships, but setting a better and more positive example for the entire community.”
Craig Larson can be reached at clarson@globe.com.