ROANOKE, Va. – Back in July of 2024, 16-year-old Jakolbi Taylor was shot and killed in Myrtle Beach while visiting for a basketball tournament.
One year later, his family and community members gathered for the Hope For Healing Fall Festival, which saw the community rally together and take part in a night of fun and festivities.
The main event was the “Hooping for Hope Invitational” basketball tournament, which was put together featuring players from schools across Roanoke City to honor the life and legacy of Jakolbi.
“He was a brother, a son, he was a phenomenal basketball player, he was an A-B student, he was driven and he was passionate,” Briana Taylor said. “He was a kid who was robbed of his life due to gun violence.”
The Fall Festival also aimed to raise awareness for preventing gun violence, with the Hope Center and Prevention and Intervention Street Team helping put the festival together.