Back To Giving Back: Ballin' 4 Peace Preparing For 6th Annual Celebrity and Charity Game
With June officially helping kickoff summer around New York City, Ballin’ 4 Peace remains focused on getting back on the court together and the chance to resume giving back to underprivileged youth and communities with the 6th Annual Ballin’ 4 Peace Celebrity & Charity Basketball Game.
Two years ago crowds packed the gym at St. Francis College in Brooklyn to support the continuous community outreach of Ballin’ 4 Peace and to watch athletes (NBA player Kenneth Faried, former NBA guard Smush Parker, WNBA legend Cappie Pondexter) entertainers (HOT 97's Hip-Hop Gamer, Mr. Commodore), artists and musicians (Graf H, Yalee, Neek Bucks, Daylyt), and social media influencers (Naya Rose, Azia Star) suit-up on the court with the main goal of extending a piece of peace to Brooklyn at the 5th Annual event. It remains one of the top sports and charity events Ballin' 4 Peace has hosted to date.
Fast forward a year later and plans for hosting the 6th Annual Ballin’ 4 Peace game were indefinitely placed on hold with the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown that followed. But that didn’t stop Ballin’ 4 Peace Founder Haron Hargrave from being proactive and getting back on the court during a world health emergency. Always the one to donate of his time, talent, and resources, Haron planned and hosted a one day Pro Am Basketball Tournament at Queens Week, which included partnering with Wooter Apparel to outfit players and PPE provider CovCare to sponsor the event with the winning team taking home $5,000 as champions.
Now with basketball and sports back in full swing, plans and preparations continue to take shape for the 6th Annual Ballin’ 4 Peace Celebrity & Charity Basketball Game. Stay tuned to Ballin’ 4 Peace for the latest news and updates as we look forward to making this one a memorable event. In the meantime, look back on some of the highlights and stories from the past five Ballin’ 4 Peace Celebrity & Charity Basketball Games....
5th Annual Ballin’ 4 Peace Celebrity & Charity Basketball Game (2019)
“The measure of success is bringing everyone together for peace and no issues and no problems, and it was another year we were able to bring people together in a peaceful manner to have a wonderful time,” Haron Hargrave told Lawrence Raysor of The Ballers Journal.
“I’m trying to make peace cool. Love is way stronger than hate. I feel that and I live that. This is something that I want to do.”
4th Annual Ballin’ 4 Peace Celebrity & Charity Basketball Game (2018)
"I took the step to help give back through sports and help those around me," Haron explained after the 4th Annual Ballin'4 Peace Celebrity & Charity Basketball Game in his native Queens at Elmcor Youth And Adult Community Center."
"The event was great and keeps getting better each year. I'm really proud of the work we've done and how word has spread about what we are doing here. It's a good feeling when you are doing something right."
3rd Annual Ballin’ 4 Peace Celebrity & Charity Basketball Game (2017)
“What triggered me to start Ballin 4 Peace was all the negative stuff that was going on in the community and not just in New York but all over the world,” said Haron Hargrave, via Desaye Kenton with The Hype Magazine. “I wanted to do something positive and my message with Ballin 4 Peace is peace through sports.”
2nd Annual Ballin’ 4 Peace Celebrity & Charity Basketball Game (2016)
“This is a big event because you got the youth involved, we got the kids and we all need something in the community for the kids straight out of Queens, so I’m glad to actually see this in my neighborhood, so I’m really happy to see this go down," Ballin' 4 Peace MC and Host, comedian Fly Boii Kris told Yvette Brown of The Source.
1st Annual Ballin’ 4 Peace Celebrity & Charity Basketball Game (2015)
Looking back on the very first celebrity and charity basketball game presented by Ballin’ 4 Peace on Saturday, January 24, 2015 at Baruch College brings back a flurry of memories and shows just how far we’ve come in giving back to local communities and neighborhoods from Queens, to Brooklyn, and across New York through Ballin’ 4 Peace.
Founded by Queens, New York native and former Sacramento State basketball and pro guard, Haron Hargrave, Ballin’ 4 Peace (B4P) is committed to raising awareness about violence within NYC and beyond. B4P provides an outlet for inner-city youth who can interface with their favorite celebrities, athletes, and influencers as they promote peace through sports, annual events, and by partnering with brands who mutually share the same vision of “giving back”.