For the past 10 years, Queens Week has become a must-attend annual community outreach event which this year featured the Pro Am One Day Tournament presented by non-profit organization Ballin’ 4 Peace and H2O Basketball and sponsored by Wooter Apparel, CovCare, and the Rock Basketball among others.
Basketball was officially back in Queens, New York thanks to Ballin’ 4 Peace and H2O Basketball.
On Sunday afternoon at 150th Park the basketball court was packed for one of the first times since the Coronavirus pandemic put a halt to sports back in early March. Thankfully, 10 years of Queens Week made for the perfect occasion to not only celebrate the rich history of the borough in New York but to come back together for the common good of spreading peace through basketball.
Presented by Ballin’ 4 Peace Founder, H2O Basketball Trainer, and Queens native, Haron Hargrave (along with co-organizer David Bucknor) hosted a full day of basketball action and the chance to compete to win $5000 at the Pro Am One Day Basketball Tournament. It was the ideal community outreach event to unite neighbors, standout basketball players, and bring sports back into the spotlight.
“This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for! After enduring the Coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown, we wanted to do something special for Queens and those in the community who are eager to get back on the court for some basketball,” said Haron Hargrave.
“Thanks to our sponsors like Wooter Apparel, CovCare, and the Rock Basketball, people in Queens were treated to an unforgettable weekend of competition and the chance to come together once again on the court.”
Always focused on spreading peace and positivity through sports, Queens native and former professional hooper Haron Hargrave couldn’t wait to bring communities together and get back on the basketball court at the Pro Am Basketball Tournament.
Along with Wooter Apparel — who provided customized jerseys for the tournament — and CovCare, and the Rock Basketball, sponsors included Bad Mon Jerk Chicken & Waffles and World Wide Auto Sales & Repair Doctor for the double-elimination tournament. The Pro Am One Day Basketball Tournament also marked the fifth-straight year that Wooter Apparel partnered with Ballin’ 4 Peace by creating customized apparel for the, as the 501(c)3 non-profit organization that hosts sporting and outreach events ranging from basketball, to flag football games, and bowling tournaments throughout Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.
Founded in 2008 by former Sacramento State basketball and pro guard, Haron Hargrave, Ballin’ 4 Peace (B4P) is committed to raising awareness about violence within New York City 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 companies and brands who mutually share the same vision of “giving back”.
“God has truly blessed me to be in a position to push peace through sports. Many people just see the results but they never get to see the grind or the Why behind it. Here is the Why: in my life I have lost so many people dear to my heart to gun violence and nonsense,” Hargrave explained.
“Now if I start naming all the names you would look at me and ask me, Why? do I smile so much or how can I be happy all of the time? Here is the real situation: I ask myself the same question, but I know my brother (Mark Arrington), who was my best friend who lost his life to gun violence would tell me to ‘keep smiling and keep shining and doing big things for the community,”
For this Queens native and former Campus Magnet High School star, being the bridge between peace, sports, and the community is simply what he loves doing.
”Growing up in southside Jamaica Queens, New York, it was no joke. Queens Week and the basketball tournament made me realize that peace starts and ends with us,” Hargrave said looking back on the weekend.
“We have to continue to do our part to bring a piece of peace to one another.”