- One-on-One Interview with Snoop Dogg (FCN, 08-04-2010)
CHICAGO (FinalCall.com) – To promote education and offer useful alternatives to gangs for many inner city youth, rapper and actor Snoop Dogg partnered with Windows of Opportunity–a non-profit arm of the Chicago Housing Authority–to provide school supplies for close to 600 youth on July 23.
“I’m just trying to get the kids to understand that they have to work with each other and the only way we can stop this violence out here in Chicago is if we become one team,” said Snoop Dogg. “They can take their energy and their anger and their attitude and put it in the right environment which is the football team and become a team and become unified and become organized and learn to work with each other as opposed to working against each other,” he added.
The Snoop Youth Football League, which has been active for six-years on the West Coast will target youth from Chicago’s housing projects, which are notorious for their high levels of gang activity and violence.
According to Snoop, the league has over 2,500 players on 12 teams spread throughout the Los Angeles area.
“We’re excited to bring the Snoop Youth Football League to the city of Chicago,” said Tonja Styles of IAMimage, one of the lead coordinators for the event. “The impact he has had on inner city youth in Los Angeles is more than commendable. He’s kept so many young people in school and out of harms way through this program. Chicago needs this,” Ms. Styles said.
SYFL Commissioner Haamid Wadood told stories of youth who sacrificed in order to be a part of the program, resisting the lure of gang affiliation.
“We had a kid show up at practice with a shoebox full of $1 bills. They nicknamed him dollar bill. He stood out and sold candy and did whatever he had to do legally to play football,” said Commissioner Wadood.
During his quick visit, Snoop made several stops at other locations across the city of Chicago, including an invitation only shopping party at the Adidas store at Chicago’s famous Water Tower Place.
Snoops said he loves Chicago and the people.
“Chicago needs me right now and I need Chicago because my football league is catered to every kid that’s at risk, that wants to play football and wants to get out of the negative or the normal of what they are accustomed to being brought up around. Chicago is just a hot spot for me. I love the people of Chicago. This has always been a home for me and I realize there is a problem here and I’m trying to become the solution,” he said.
Snoop Dogg started the football league with a personal investment of $1 million. The teams are scheduled to begin play in Chicago in 2011.
(For more information regarding the Snoop Youth Football League visit http://www.snoopyfl.net.)
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One-on-One Interview with Snoop Dogg (FCN, 08-04-2010)
