ROANOKE, Va. – An empty parking lot along Melrose Avenue will transform into a place for the Roanoke community to gather and heal on Saturday.
“It’s all about bringing community together to stand together to stop the violence,” said Nicole Ross, the woman organizing the Stomp the Violence Fall Festival in the parking lot of Paradise Cathedral in Northwest Roanoke.
Ross is the CEO and president of Youth Enrichment Services of Southwest Virginia and a member of the Roanoke City Gun Violence Prevention Commission.
The festival will feature music, food and speakers who’ve lived through the violence first-hand.
“The folks from the community who know the community, from the street, who were a part of the gangs and were a part of the drugs that have spent some time in prison that can come back because they’ve made a change in their lives,” said Ross. “To be able to tell these young people, ‘Don’t make the same mistakes they made.’”
These mistakes are still being made. As of Nov. 1, Roanoke Police say there have been 61 incidents where someone was hit by gunfire in 2021.
“Every act of violence, there’s a family that’s left behind,” said Ross.
Ross said there’s been a lull in gun violence recently, but she fears it won’t last long.
“It seems to be slowing down a bit. I don’t know if it’s because it’s getting colder outside,” said Ross. “But we don’t want any violence.”
Ross is calling on the community to show up to stomp the violence once and for all.
“Come out. Hear what the community has to say. Bring your children, your grandchildren, your neighbor’s child so that they can be a part of this event,” said Ross.
The event will run from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13. It will be held at 1301 Melrose Ave, Roanoke, VA 24017.