To Be A Kid

This event is our newest program. To Be A Kid is a child gun violence awareness event where we aim to do three things. We want to remember children whose lives were taken away by gun violence. We want to acknowledge children who survived after becoming a victim. We want to provide a space for children to come together from all across the city to show what a day free from gun violence should be for them. Their only worry should be, to be a kid!

Last year, on March 21st, The James-Gail Foundation was able to pay for 561 happy meals. We stood in the McDonalds parking lot on Roosevelt and Kedzie distributing $5 gift cards to pay for happy meals. We did so to celebrate what would have been the fourth birthday of a three year old that was shot and killed on June 20, 2020, while riding home from the barbershop in his car seat. He was on his way home to his family and to the happy meal that awaited him in the microwave. On that day, we wanted as many kids as possible to share in a moment that was taken away from him. A month later, in the same McDonalds parking lot, a seven year old’s life was taken by gun violence sitting in the drive-thru. Children should be able to enjoy simply joys like McDonalds without fear of becoming a victim.

In July 2022, we had our first annual To Be A Kid event to Maggie Daley Park. We had almost 150 kids share in a moment of what it should always be like for a kid to be a kid. The atmosphere included many different things that kids enjoyed. We will provided free hair cuts. Kids who wanted to share how gun violence has affected their lives did so on stage. Kids who had talents that wanted to showcase them took the stage as well. We had different business share their resources to help make the kids individual dreams come true. If there were kids that had business ideas, we had The Martyr for Justice Project out and they were giving away $100 grants to help with their business plans. We had AmariBrown7 out sponsoring hot dogs, cotton candy and snowballs for attendees. We invited different organizations that have a similar mission in helping the youth in our city to come out and share their resources. This day was to be a day free of gun violence as the people in the city of Chicago recognize how important our kids futures are. A kid should be able to be a kid without becoming a victim of gun violence and on July 10, 2022, The James-Gail Foundation provided a space for them to do just that! We are excited to bring our 2nd annual To Be A Kid event in 2023!

As our largest event that we are aiming to reach more than 500 kids and their families, we need your help to make this event come to life. Will you help us? Click the link below to donate.

We are changing the narrative today, so that our story continues tomorrow!