Summer in the City

Ford Lasalle Park is a place where you are a king if you can dribble through your legs and artistic prowess is represented in the most elaborately decorated paper plate. Here on LaBelle Road the kids of the neighborhood gather every Wednesday to hang out with the volunteers of Summer in the City. This Wednesday was no exception. Brice, an eleven year old, dressed in a coordinating orange outfit was beyond thrilled when he found out he had not one, not two but three buddies who were more than willing to engage in a game of full-court basketball. Tawshawna and Britanny were also excited, as their eyes drank up the tons of art supplies brought by Summer in the City. Mid-morning the group took a break to go gardening in a community garden. Watching Brice’s face that went from excitement to curiosity to disgust as he tried his first piece of cilantro was pretty hilarious. The group then filled up on tomatoes and beans, before hitting the park again for lunch. Tawshawna, self-proclaimed “queen” of the park, then schooled us all in jump rope…(“ice cream, ice cream cherry on top, how many boyfriends do ya got?”)…with a whopping 89 boyfriends. The day ended on a high note when a man passing by proclaimed, “This is the best game of basketball I’ve seen in this park in a while. — Katlin