Community violence intervention groups, local organizations and law enforcement partners joined forces on Saturday to send a message that it’s time to put an end to gun violence in Detroit.

Hundreds attended the annual Silence the Violence rally on the city’s east side. One of the event’s participants, Latina Mack, is a member of the community violence intervention group Force Detroit.

“I combine myself with Force Detroit to be able to help these kids, to give them the resources, to provide opportunities for them, to do things that they have never done before,” Mack said.

In 2023, her 17-year-old son, Elijah, was killed in an accidental shooting.

“My son’s death prompted me to want to do more. I just didn’t want anybody else to go through what I go through on a regular basis. Sometimes that’s the biggest thing, just showing up and letting people know I’m here.” Mack said.

Organizers say the rally and march are about honoring those lost to gun violence, bringing awareness to ongoing struggles and showing support to those who need it.

“It’s very, very important to the survivors, and it’s more than just the survivors as it relates to the families, but the whole community is surviving this stuff because they seen it,” Dujuan Zoe Kennedy, executive director, Force Detroit, said.

Kennedy added that when it comes to gun violence, if you can predict it, you can prevent it.

“We know the root causes of violence are poverty. We know the root causes of violence are psychological, emotional and mental wellness. So we have to provide those things, we have to be there, we have to be trauma-informed and we have to operate and provide economic mobility,” Kennedy said.

One example of a community violence intervention success is Jordan Owens.

“I got a lot of good mentorship, and a lot of good guidance from them and I feel like I’m going down a better path,” Owens said.

The 16-year-old was arrested with a gun just a few years ago.

“I wasn’t necessarily beefing with people doing that, but people were in my neighborhood getting robbed, killed, hurt and I felt like I just needed protection at my age. I felt like I didn’t have nobody to protect me and I felt like I had to do it myself,” Owens said.

Now he realizes that’s not the case.

“It’s more to life than just all of this stuff in the neighborhoods and all of that. We all have the opportunity to change our lives and do better, and you just have to want that change for yourself.”

Owens has become an entrepreneur, starting both landscaping and car detailing services.

“I’d love to be a good community member, speaking to the youth and stuff like that, and doing more stuff like this. And I just want to go to college, continue with my businesses,” Owens said.

MILWAUKEE — On Saturday night at American Family Field, nearly every seat was filled, but the crowd wasn’t there for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Thousands of fans packed the ballpark as Banana Ball, the fast-paced baseball and entertainment phenomenon popularized by the Savannah Bananas, brought its traveling show to Milwaukee.

The event featured the Party Animals and Loco Beach Coconuts, two teams in the six-team Banana Ball Championship League.

For many fans, the attraction goes beyond baseball.

“It’s the music, the dancing, and a lot of things for families,” said Sue Liegeois of Muskego, who attended with family members visiting from Michigan.

Liegeois said she became a fan after watching on TikTok and then attending a Banana Ball event in Franklin in 2023.

“The first time I went, I was hooked,” she said.

Banana Ball has built a national following through viral social media content and its fan-focused approach to the game.

The Milwaukee stop also featured local connections on the field.

Brady Kais, a southeastern Wisconsin native and pitcher for the Party Animals, said playing in front of family and friends at a major league ballpark was a special experience.

“It’s unbelievable being able to see my friends, family — everybody I’ve seen throughout my whole life,” Kais said.

Kais attended Greendale High School and later pitched for the Lake Country DockHounds in Oconomowoc before joining the Banana Ball tour.

“Growing up, Banana Ball wasn’t a thing, so I definitely never thought this would be something I’d be a part of,” Kais said. “But once I saw it, I knew I needed to be involved.”

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On the opposing side, Loco Beach Coconuts catcher Erik Ostberg also has ties to southeastern Wisconsin.

Ostberg spent two seasons with the Milwaukee Milkmen before joining Banana Ball and said his time in the area helped shape his career.

“The people here are great. A lot of the people here helped build me up, and I’m very thankful for the Milkmen and Milwaukee,” Ostberg said.

The event also drew young baseball players eager to see the unique version of the game in person.

“It inspires little kids to have fun and follow their dreams,” said Nelson Damrow of the Concordia Lakeshore Jr. Chinooks baseball team.

For longtime fans like Helen Evans, who traveled from South Carolina, sharing the experience with newcomers is part of the appeal.

“To share this with people who’ve never been able to experience it is almost as good as going to the game yourself,” Evans said.

The Loco Beach Coconuts defeated the Party Animals on Saturday night. The teams return to the ballpark Sunday for a second sold-out game