(Credit: Terrance Roberts)
(Credit: Terrance Roberts)
(Credit: Terrance Roberts)
The Park Hill Community in northeast Denver has been struggling to bring back culture, history and a sense of community for nearly four years.
A landmark of sorts in their community, the Holly Square Shopping Center, has needed some TLC since the arson fire in 2008.
Saturday, after years of pushing for donations to fix the area, their dream came true.
In 2008, a group of gang members set the Holly Square Shopping Center on fire and it burned to the ground.
Terrance Roberts is the executive director of the Prodigal Son Initiative, a group dedicated to helping and protecting the youth in the community from violence and gangs.
"This is something we have been battling for a long time," Roberts said.
This project has been a dream of his for four years.
"Our kids are joining gangs," Roberts said. "A lot of our kids don't feel they have a lot of options doing other things. This is showing our youth you don't have to join a gang to represent your community."
Saturday, after several large donations from a hand full of foundations, more than 100 community members went out to show they care.
"It's good to see this going on," volunteer Gaudie Sudduth said. "I'm filled with joy. I really am."
Among the upgrades are two basketball courts, an outdoor soccer court, two playground sets and two gazebos with picnic tables and benches.
It's all in hopes of giving the youth more options in pursuit of better choices.
"We want gang violence [to go down]," Roberts said. "Instead of us burying 10 or 12 kids from this community every year, it would be good if we didn't bury any kids and that is the goal."
For more information visit the Prodigal Son Initiative website.
(KUSA-TV © 2012 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)