LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – One Lexington is asking the community to support an upcoming event aimed at preventing gun violence in certain Lexington neighborhoods.

Devine Carama, director of One Lexington, said Gainesway Park holds special meaning to him.

“I grew up in that park. I played for the Gainesway Seahawks, and the Cowboys, and the Blue Jays and the Braves. I graduated from Tates Creek High School, so my heart is there personally, but I feel like there’s kind of a gap in the Centre Parkway area that we as a community can come together and fill,” Carama said.

Carama said with more affordable housing developing throughout Lexington, different demographics have shifted across neighborhoods, bringing new people to that area.

“We just want to be a presence. It’s not any worse than any other neighborhood,” Carama said.

Carama said he wanted to host an event there with a new approach — one that brings role models and mentors to one place to connect them directly with any kids who need them.

“We’re challenging a hundred black men at Gainesway Park to just go and engage, not only the youth in the park, but to also go door to door to check on neighbors. Obviously because a lot of systemic reasons, we see gun violence disproportionably impact brown and black communities. So many of our young men are involved in that cycle of violence,” Carama said.

Carama said Monday evening at 6 p.m. at the Gainesway Park basketball court, he is asking these men to show up and be ready to build those connections.

“We want them to be able to identify with who’s in the park. Bring those resources. Whether it’s from your church, whether it’s job opportunities, it’s kind of a resource desert out there in Centre Parkway and the Gainesway area and so we want to bring the resources in and make people aware of the resources that do exist,” Carama said.

Carama said while the gathering is focused on bringing black men together, it is open to anyone in the community to come out and take part.