Hollywood invades Delaware
Hollywood will invade Delaware this weekend for a series of events designed to help teens make smart, healthy choices in life.
Hollywood will invade Delaware this weekend for a series of events designed to help teens make smart, healthy choices in life.
Actress and singer Raven Symoné will join other celebrities taking part in this weekend activities. A trio of Delaware non-profit groups are collaborating on the events that include an American Idol-style singing competition, a teen summit, and a celebrity softball game. Officials with AIDS Delaware, the Delaware Prevention Network Alliance, and Duffy’s Hope, Inc. say the focus is on preventing risky behavior and substance abuse. That’s something Delaware Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn says isn’t focused on enough. “Frequently, we don’t pay enough attention to prevention in Delaware. We spend all this time and all these resources trying to deal with the consequences of us not having headed of some of these problems ahead of time.”
The main message of the weekend will be delivered at a conference Saturday morning. Matthew Silva will present a session called “Snitches and Stiches,” designed to encourage teens to speak up when they see criminal activity. “The whole workshop I’m running is trying to figure out why they’re doing it, and try to get them maybe to look at it in a different way, as not snitching, but taking responsibility and owning up.” Other workshops will focus on cyber bullying and online safety, in addition to underage drinking and prescription drug abuse. Raven Symoné will deliver the keynote address and take part in a panel discussion with other celebrities.
The activities will wrap up with a celebrity softball game featuring actors, former professional football players, and prominent members of the community including Wilmington Police Chief Michael Sczcerba. Money raised in the seventh annual softball game will go to support the mentoring outreach of Duffy’s Hope, a group started by Wilmington native and former pro basketball player Allen ‘Duffy’ Samuels.
You can buy tickets or find out more information online by clicking here.
Click to hear more about the workshops to be presented at Saturday’s Teen Summit in Wilmington from Matthew Silva:
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