2016’s Barnstable Unity Day
HYANNIS – The Town of Barnstable, together with the Barnstable Police Department, and the community group “People of Action” are presenting the town’s second annual Unity Day this month.
The event, under the theme “Celebrating Unity in Our Community,” will be held at the Hyannis Village Green and is designed to bring the community and police department together for a free day of food, music, raffles, and children’s activities.
“This is intended for all members of the community to join together peacefully with the Barnstable Police Department to show appreciation for one another and just enjoy the day on the village green,” said Barnstable Police Sergeant Sean Sweeney.
Unity Day is the brain child of brothers Andre and Jesse Barboza, from Hyannis, who first reached out to Police Chief Paul MacDonald last year seeking to engage officers with the community that they serve. The brothers were inspired to create the event after a number of conflicts between police personnel around the country and the public made national headlines.
“It’s quite evident with this Unity Day and how they approached us, there could’ve been a group of people that approached us that said no, we want to march against the police, this is just the opposite and I have to commend these people for doing that,” said Sweeney.
Jesse Barboza formed “People of Action”, as a group of primarily young people who decided to come together and take action in making the community proud and address issues head-on to make a difference, and he says that Unity Day is a step in that direction.
“This is an opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate our differences,” said Jesse Barboza, “We may not always see eye to eye, but we must learn to build trust and respect one another.”
The Barbozas say that it is important for both sides to have the occasion to gather peacefully together for a day of fun to show mutual appreciation.
Barnstable’s second annual Unity Day will be held on Friday, July 28th at the Hyannis Village Green from 4-7 PM. The event is free and open to all who wish to attend. Food and entertainment will be provided, attendees are advised to bring their own blankets and chairs.
By DAVID BEATTY, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
About CapeCod.com NewsCenter
