LORAIN, Ohio (WOIO) – For nine years the Marquis McCall basketball tournament has given kids something positive to do while also shedding light on the growing problem surrounding gun violence.
Jacqueline Lewis is one of the organizers, and told 19 News she put the tournament together after she lost her son Marquis McCall in a drive by shooting in 2009. Lewis also lost her son Leonard McCall Jr. to gun violence in 2024.
“We bring them all out here so we can have older guys talk to these kids and let them know in a quick second your life can be over,” said Lewis. It’s not just bringing them together to play basketball”.
Leonard McCall Sr. told 19 news it’s important that the youth has something to do.
“Use their energy to play kickball and basketball, just to come together and enjoy each other,” said McCall.
While the games got intense so did the conversations as they taught kids in the moment how to handle conflict the right way.
“The main thing is getting it into these kids heads about the violence,” said Lewis.
Tabatha Watson is a big part in making the tournament happen each year.
She told 19 News that without their sponsors and donations from the community to hire security they wouldn’t be able to give the kids this opportunity for free.
Watson’s son-in-law was shot and murdered giving her a unique perspective she is ready to share.
“When you take out someone’s parent now you leave kids, and they don’t have a father,” said Watson. “So the men that come out here and talk to these young ones, they become their father.”
A community hoping that through every basket and conversation, they can save a life.
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