200 Youth Participate in City and County Youth Basketball Camp

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, local youth came together for a basketball camp focused on teamwork and nonviolence. The free Summer of Nonviolence event was hosted by the City of Albuquerque’s Albuquerque Community Safety Department, Bernalillo County, City Councilor Joaquin Baca, Bernalillo County Commission Vice Chair Adriann Barboa and the Albuquerque High School Boys Basketball team at the Albuquerque High School Basketball Gym.

Open to students in kindergarten through eighth grade, the camp offered a day filled with skill-building, teamwork, and positive messages about peace, respect, and sportsmanship - on and off the court.

Led by members of the Albuquerque High School Boys Basketball team, coaches, and parent volunteers, the camp gave 200 young athletes the opportunity to learn from student role models and community leaders.

Each participant received free lunch from Dion’s, as well as a commemorative Summer of Nonviolence t-shirt, and basketball.

The season-long Summer of Nonviolence initiative encourages youth to take a pledge of nonviolence and offers a series of events throughout the summer for young people to have fun and stay safe.

“This camp is about more than just basketball - it’s about creating safe, positive spaces for our youth,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “We’re proud to support programs that teach values like respect, discipline, and nonviolence.”

“Basketball is a powerful way for young people to learn how to support each other, solve problems together and show up with heart. This camp embodies what the Summer of Nonviolence is all about: building community and helping our kids grow into strong, compassionate leaders. I’m proud to see so many youth coming together to learn, play, and rise as a team,” said Bernalillo County Commission Vice Chair Adriann Barboa (D3).

“Our goal is to uplift kids through sports and connection,” said ACS Outreach Coordinator Ismael Vallejos. “This camp brings the community together with purpose.”

“It’s an honor to be building up our community and promoting a culture of nonviolence,” said Albuquerque High School Varsity Boys Basketball Coach Leroy Barela. “Our program builds character in our youth. Basketball is a great motivator.”

The City and County thank all the families, volunteers, and student-athletes who made the camp a success. Events like these demonstrate the power of collaboration in building safer, stronger communities for Albuquerque’s youth.

The Summer of Nonviolence campaign offers a series of events throughout the season for young people to have fun and stay safe. For more information about this event and future happenings, please visit the Summer of Nonviolence website.

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About Albuquerque Community Safety

Albuquerque Community Safety is the City of Albuquerque’s third branch of public safety. Responders take calls for service involving behavioral health, substance use, and other non-criminal and non-medical issues. Request an ACS Responder by calling 911 for emergencies and 311 for non-emergencies.

About Bernalillo County

Bernalillo County is 1,160 square miles and is New Mexico’s most populous county with more than 676,000 residents. Bernalillo County government provides a wide range of public services to residents who live in Albuquerque, Los Ranchos and Tijeras with approximately 106,000 residents living in unincorporated areas of the county. Bernalillo County employs approximately 2,500 people and has an annual operating budget, capital investments and other funds of more than $1 billion. Elected officials include five county commissioners, assessor, clerk, probate judge, sheriff and treasurer.