Central Park round dance aims to curb urban violence

Dozens of people gathered for a round dance in downtown Winnipeg Thursday afternoon in an effort to make their neighbourhood safer.

All Good in the Hood aims to bring culture to areas with high crime rates and drive violence out.

Darryl Buck organized Winnipegs event after meeting with motivational speaker Mike Scott who spearheaded similar events in Saskatoon.

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Scott visits playgrounds and parks in the city that are riddled with drugs and alcohol. He plays drums and invites singers to participate.

His motivation was to bring safety back to the community by bringing culture into the hood, said Buck.

Mary Lou Bourgeois participated in Thursday afternoons dance in Central Park, saying there is too much violence in Winnipeg and events like these can make a difference.

Its gathering people together. Its bringing them as a unit. One person cant do anything, but one person can start something and bring a whole community together, said Bourgeois.

Buck said he wont stop organizing events like these until his neighbourhood is safer, and several similar events have already been planned throughout the summer.

If Im able to bring back the feeling of safety for a little while, then Im going to do it, he said.