Augusta, GA
Augusta Boys & Girls Club to host Stop the Violence basketball tournament
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The E.W. Hagler Boys & Girls Club is hosting the Stop the Violence Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 7, at 1903 Division St.
The tournament, which begins at 9 a.m., was organized by the teens themselves, who said they are tired of seeing violence in their neighborhoods.
The event was created by Xzavier Neal, a senior at ARC who has been a Boys & Girls Club member since fourth grade.
“I watched how violence has changed not just my life, but a lot of my peers’ life and how it’s taking people, not just from me, but a lot of people in my community,” Neal said. “And I didn’t like it. It’s really sad.”
Neal brought the idea to Amisha Webb, a Life and Workforce Readiness Program Specialist at the Boys & Girls Club.
“He said, you know, Ms. Misha, we can’t continue to be a product of our environment and not having positive role models,” Webb said. “And I said, okay, well, what does that look like? And he was like, I want to do a basketball tournament.”
Webb said she is proud of the students involved in organizing the event.
“I’m extremely proud of all of them, just for the simple fact that they are thinking outside the box and trying to find new ways to be impactful,” Webb said.
Community organizations including GAP Ministries and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office will be present at the event with services and support for families. Webb said teen homelessness is on the rise in the community.
Neal said the goal is to bring more young people through the doors of the Boys & Girls Club.
“I see negative stuff every day so much. I just want to see a day full of positive stuff,” Neal said. “That’s my plan.”
“I’d rather go out and do something than sit here and just talk about it and watch it happen,” Neal said. “If I can make a change, we’re going to change it.”
The tournament is Saturday at the E.W. Hagler Club on Division Street, beginning at 9 a.m. Concessions and a raffle will also be available to support the Boys & Girls Club and its violence prevention services.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Students showcased drones they built during a two-week summer camp at Augusta Regional Airport on Friday.
12 junior and high school students attended the camp, where they learned to fly and build drones designed to help others.
Anderson Puryear, a student, said the camp focused on delivering small medical supplies.
“It was focused on delivering small medical supplies like an EPI pen or glucose packet for like diabetics and for people with allergies in need in the real world that could obviously help save lives, and if people are like in a place in a boat or like in the desert or in the forest where they can’t easily access those supplies it can save their lives,” Puryear said.
The airport partnered with Georgia Tech, state troopers and the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Department for the Air Edu Summer Camp.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The 10th annual Juneteenth Augusta Festival brought families to the Augusta Fairgrounds on Friday despite the muggy heat.
Cultural and community-focused events, live music performances and food trucks were available at the celebration.
Tonia Hill, attending the Juneteenth celebration, said she loves the holiday and is supporting the community, though she acknowledged the weather conditions.
“I love Juneteenth. And I’m supporting everybody. It’s hot. It’s hot. It’s hot,” Hill said.
The festival runs until 10 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Dream Center is seeing more families turn to its food pantry this summer as children lose access to school lunches.
Organizations like the Augusta Dream Center see a surge in families who relied on school lunches during the academic year, according to Hallie Kohan, assistant director.
“We see a lot more families that have young kids who are in need that simply don’t have those meals they are normally getting,” Kohan said. “We see an influx of families that come through.”
Demand is up, but the food supply is not keeping pace.
“Right now we are having some food distribution issues so while we are seeing an increase in families, we are seeing a decrease in the amount of food coming through our doors,” Kohan said.
The center is asking the community to host food drives or donate kid-friendly items such as mac and cheese and oatmeal.
Every Sunday the Dream Center opens its doors for a hot meal, serving as many as 120 people.
“Families can come in and get their hot meal. They sit down, it’s dignified, it’s a diner,” Kohan said. “It’s a welcoming experience for kids to come in and not feel like they are in need.”
No paperwork is required to receive help.
“Just because you think someone is in a great situation, in today’s economy you never know,” Kohan said. “It could be your neighbor, mom, or best friend.”
The Augusta Dream Center food pantry is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon and Thursdays from 5 to 6 p.m. Hot meals are served Sundays from 5 to 6 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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