Cincinnati youth non-violence football game in financial jeopardy

The organizers of Cincinnati’s Peace Bowl said the future of the non-violence football game is in financial jeopardy.

The annual event was held Saturday at Walnut Hills High School. It brings together more than 1,500 tri-state children between the ages of four and 12.

Milan Lanier has had a role in the community games since their inception nearly two decades ago.

“I've watched each community grow with more organized teams, which is good. That means we're keeping the kids off the street,” Lanier said.

While the kids are focused on the playbook for the game, their adult coaches know it is about much more than football.

Mutual respect, discipline and camaraderie are life lessons taught on the gridiron, organizer Pastor Meter Mingo said: “You’ve got kids out here that show their coaches more respect than they show their parents.”

“The city spends a lot of money on crime reduction, what they need to do is finance programs like this,” he said.

Coaches are “out here doing the best they can for the future of our kids,” he said. “But it all takes money, and that’s the problem.”

Erich Cross/WCPO

Fellow organizer Marye Ward said Saturday’s event was nearly canceled. While the non-profit typically has about $1,000 remaining every year, Ward said their books this morning showed $0.

“We prayed and said, ‘it’s gonna happen,’” she said.

The event itself is free for the teams. Each family purchases equipment for their own player, but the non-profit will help families that can’t afford it.

Ward and Mingo said the number of kids who need that assistance, as well as the cost of the equipment, is rising. At the same time, their benefactors are not donating like they used to.

“I reached out to the city for funding, I've applied for grants, I've not gotten anything yet,” Ward said. “But you know, what do we do? Do we cancel all of this for the kids? Or do we just keep it going?

In recent months, the city has committed to ending youth violence. Community leaders gathered for a ‘WCPO 9 Search for Solutions ’ roundtable less than a month ago.

Ward said it’s frustrating to know the impact a program like the Peace Bowl makes, but not have the funding to be able to reliably sustain it.

“I can tell you right now the things that we want to do to increase the opportunities for our children. We don't have funding, and we need money,” she said.

While any amount would help, Ward said about $20,000 would stabilize the non-profit.

“We don’t have income coming in,” she said. “It kinds of ties our hands [for] things that we want to do.”

For more information on how you can volunteer your time or resources, visit: https://www.peacebowlclassic.com/