Cambridge Wins 11th Annual Shannon Grant Basketball Tournament

Youth from eight cities and towns had the chance to compete head-to-head this weekend in a basketball tournament held by the Metro Mayors Coalition.

On Saturday, Aug. 3, teams from Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Quincy, Somerville, Revere, and Winthrop competed in the 11th Annual Shannon Grant Basketball Tournament at Hoyt Field in Cambridge. This year’s event included a three-point contest, pizza, a t-shirt design station, MetroCommon 2050 engagement, recognition from Governor Baker, and a visit from Cambridge City Manager Louis DePasquale and Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville Bard, Jr.

The Cambridge team, which was coached by Officers with the Cambridge Police Department, won this year’s tournament in a close and hard-fought game with Revere (who won the 2019 three-point contest in a showcase of clutch shooting and clock management).

The Metro Mayors Coalition is a coalition of cities and towns from Boston’s inner core who exchange information and find common solutions to regional issues. MAPC helped form the coalition in 2009 and facilitates the group.

The annual basketball tournament has been held since 2009 to bring together youth and police officers from the communities involved in the Metro Mayors Shannon Grant Community Safety Initiative. The Initiative is a state-funded program that supports regional and multi-disciplinary approaches to combat gang violence through coordinated programs for prevention and intervention. In its thirteenth year, this program remains an invaluable resource for the participating communities to prevent gang and youth violence while fostering collaboration between Metro Mayors municipalities.

Photos are available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/44747327@N04/. 

###