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Stop the Violence 757 holds clean-up event in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Stop the Violence 757 continues to host awareness events.

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To kick off Gun Violence Awareness Month, the non-profit organization put the ‘Go Orange Bike Ride.’ Free bikes were available for kids in the area. Then they held a community kickball tournament between local organizations.


On Saturday morning, volunteers cleaned up part of Effingham Street, near fire station 1 in Portsmouth.

Stop the Violence 757 adopted a section of the street, in memory of Antonio Atkins. In December 2014, he was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting.

Atkins’ brother was with him and survived the attack. He says he still has nightmares about the painful memory.

His mom, Monica Atkins founded the organization, to stop the violence in Hampton Roads. The cleanup event aims to improve the city.

“We want the people in this specific community to feel good about their area,” Freddie Taylor Sr., with Stop the Violence 757, said.

The group partnered with several organizations and Portsmouth city waste management.

100 people living in the neighborhood picked up a free meal and a gun lock.