ST. CLOUD -- You can join other members of the community on Saturday at the 2nd annual Stop the Violence event in St. Cloud.

The family-friendly event brings people together with members of law enforcement and local decision-makers for a fun afternoon that aims to build a stronger sense of community in the St. Cloud area.

The afternoon features guest speakers, food, art demonstrations, kids activities, and a basketball tournament.

"It's really just a community-building activity to support law enforcement and other organizations to show that we are working together to stop violence," says John Smith of Promise Neighborhood.

Smith says the event began last year in response to violent events in the St. Cloud area in recent years.

"Last year, we saw community members from different walks of life and different age groups coming together and having dialogue about the issue," Smith says. "We saw a community that wants things to be different, not pointing fingers at each other and working together to come up with solutions."

Smith says he looks forward to the day's basketball tournament the most.

"I grew up with a lot of sports in my life, so I know you can use it as a bonding tool to bring people together," Smith says. "You see somebody from law enforcement playing alongside people from the community -- people from all races and ages -- and having a good time."

The Stop the Violence event begins at 1:00 p.m. Saturday at South Junior High School in St. Cloud.

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