COLUMBIA, S.C. — Students in the Eau Claire area are raising awareness about gun violence. A special event was held during a middle school football game at Keenan High stadium tonight. The schools came together with Prisma health and LRADC to bring resources to students.
“Me letting go of the balloon, it let go a lot of the stuff I was holding on to,” said Gabrielle Trezevant, an Eau Claire student body representative.
Gabrielle Trezevant wants people to put the guns down. Students and school leaders from the Eau Claire area schools gathered at tonight's football game between Alcorn vs Heyward Gibbes Middle Schools. Before the game, community members and students were able to read and sign a pledge against gun violence. Gabrielle knows firsthand how it feels to lose someone.
“I lost someone to gun violence, and I know how it feels, so like bringing that to other people I feel like that can release some pressure off some people," said Trezevant.
John P. Thomas Elementary School Principal Selina Latimore helped organize the event, telling us that they want to meet the kids where they are at.
“One of the reasons we decided on a non-threatening event because often sometimes schools can seem like people are not comfortable there, and so this is a setting to where people are usually very joyous at games, so we can bring resources to them because sometimes when you go to a school for an event you have low attendance," said Latimore.
At halftime, a moment of silence was held on the field, and white balloons were released in memory of the victims of gun violence.
“It hurt, it hurt, I’m not going to lie, I teared up a little bit, but it’s good to feel like I’m not by myself," said Trezevant.
Organizers say they plan to hold a similar event during the spring.