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Written By: Chase McBride
Photos By: Ej the Dj and Garvin G.
May 2015 Edition
Written By: Chase McBride
Don’t be fooled by the hype. Don’t
be misled by your thoughts or
assumptions. Let’s clear the misconceptions by announcing that C-Ball
is not rich! In terms of love and
admiration from the community, yes
C-Ball is swimming in wealth. As far
as money to properly serve the people of the Bronx on a monthly basis,
that’s another story. “People think
C-Ball has money and maybe it’s because of our affiliations or our consistency of displaying an event every
first Saturday of the month that’s
been successful going on two years
now but that’s not the case,” said
Founder/CEO of C-Ball Mr. Sleep
Johnson. He continued by saying,
“It’s a struggle every month to put
on this event and from the outside
looking in, it can be deceiving. The
trick is this I have dedicated people
who care. I have faithful volunteers
who at times come out of their own
pockets to help out in many areas of
need just to put smiles on the faces
of youth and adults from all twelve
districts of the Bronx,”
Take a look at our Girl Scouts.
“Our borough lacks resources and this is a fact
because every location says the same thing. Every community bombards us by saying they need
more of what we offer and to be honest we don’t
have much due to budget constraints but we do
our best.”
- C-Ball Event Manager Kontessia Atkins
the many people we encounter. It’s
so many kids and the parents that
are thankful every time we bring
C-Ball to their neighborhood and it
shows every time,” says C-Ball Event
Manager Kontessia Atkins. She adds
Despite the lack of capital to serve a by also saying that the Bronx is in
desperate and demanding group of need for more, “Our borough lacks
communities throughout the Bronx resources and this is a fact because
every location says the same thing.
that frequently say, “we need this
Every community bombards us by
everyday,” C-Ball is doing the best
saying they need more of what we
that it can with a wealth of love,
offer and to be honest we don’t have
care and social affection. “We all
love giving back to the community much due to budget constraints but
and in return that’s precipitated by we do our best.”
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The missing link to offering more
to a struggling borough other than
the 30 plus volunteers who dedicate themselves faithfully every first
Saturday of the month is the powers
that be; the ones that can simply
write a check. Sleep Johnson speaks
on this, “I deal with a lot of these
companies from the health industry
to the sporting world that is impressed with what we do and they
see the impact of how the communities of the Bronx revere us. Without
question they are watching us, they
are even calling and actually meet-
with many other sports, games and
alternatives in the near future to
form a strong bond of indirectly
creating that village many people talk of and dream of but have
failed to capture in this day in age.
Sleep Johnson comments, “We can
accomplish anything we want if we
all pull together. The work can be
done but it’s the selfish people that
are hurting our communities.”
Sleep Johnson stresses this point,
“For real as I travel throughout
each corner of the Bronx I meet a
Female District Attorney player rise up for a jump shot.
lot of people who care and I defiing with us but as of yet they are not men of color, have a chance to go
nitely stumble across those who
helping us.”
as far as their dreams will take
don’t. I say if you don’t care or prethem.”
tend to care you are the problem.
As Sleep Johnson keeps moving
I say if you refuse to get up off
forward he is very optimistic and
your backside to act
he’s also feeling that with his organi- “To be frank, I’m starting to feel
on doing something
zation being a true presentation of
that we are the community. I can’t that doesn’t correlate
the community, it’s about a matter
lie we are becoming the voice of the towards getting paid
of time before it all comes together.
to do it you can be
“To be frank, I’m starting to feel that people because they are speaking to the problem as well.
we are the community. I can’t lie we us everywhere we go,”
Actually you are the
are becoming the voice of the people
problem and I feel that
- Founder/CEO Sleep Johnson
because they are speaking to us evthe youth who are our
erywhere we go,” says Sleep Johnson.
future do not need false leaders in
In addition he adds, “Together, we
The words of our President match
position holding our communities
can make a change which insinuates the groundbreaking work that
down or in hostage.”
the echoes of our dear President
C-Ball is currently doing by way
Barak Obama who spoke Monday,
of utilizing the game of basketball.
With all the violence erupting
May 4, 2015 at Lehman College in
C-Ball takes the sport of basketball
throughout the country on both
the Bronx. He announced his nonfor-profit initiative, “Am I My Brother’s Keeper” Alliance,” which is right
in line with our mission.”
Our President talked about this
initiative that will target the help of
nurturing our young men who he
says has the deck stacked against
them in a society that is somewhat
lopsided in urban communities.
He utters that this initiative is, “An
initiative to address the persistent
opportunity gaps and ensure that all
of young people, particularly young
Community team taking a group picture.
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redirecting approximately 200 plus
people from one location to the center that can be deemed the Home of
Hip-Hop was somewhat of a breeze.
Yes, some people were a bit confused but the majority made there
way inside the center which one of
Hip-Hop founding fathers Afrika
Bambaataa from the Zulu Nation
made famous.
The announcement of the male District Attorney team.
sides of the spectrum it’s a fact that
a dose of love is needed. Enter
C-Ball who is actively delivering
that love but again as Sleep John-
big time. In less than two weeks
these two awesome females open
the doors for community district
6 and 9 youth residents to enjoy
“It was a great afternoon for the community, for the
Bronx, and an honor to be a part of it (C-Ball).”
- Deputy Bureau Chief Aaron B. Kaplan
son describes it, “More love is
needed. More people who care is
needed in our community like for
instance going into this event I was
faced with people who were against
C-Ball happening. These people
were in position to disrupt the event
and that they did for the most part.
I say for the most part because
although they made us change
directions at the last minute we still
pulled off a successful event elsewhere. We still provided the youth
in that particular community to
experience C-Ball and that’s because
we care. See, it’s not about me, nor
them, it’s about the community!”
When one location closes its doors
another one is sure to open and
the gracious people of Bronx River
Center obliged C-Ball with open
arms. Vivian Quintero, Cornerstone Assistant Director of Bronx
River Community Center and
Norma Saunders from Bronx River
Resident Association stepped up
an event together. An event that
turned out to be a flawless basketball clinic that came off without
a hitch regardless of the politics
played on the other side of town.
Norma captured the event and
collaboration as such, “We have
a slogan, Togetherness Brings
Success and C-Ball was all of that.
The event was well organized and
the community enjoyed this wonderful event. Thank you.” From
Dead smack in the middle of Bronx
River projects located at 1619 E.
174th Street in the Bronx, New York
the people spoke. Men, women
and children altogether in peace
and harmony enjoyed an event that
highlighted a youth clinic and two
adult basketball games. Years ago,
these same projects had a certain
edge and a reputation that made it
known that in order to pass through
you had to know someone but times
have changed.
Bronx River is a welcoming place
to live and on this day of Saturday,
May 2, 2015 on a pleasant day everything was perfect. People from
all over the borough came to either
participate in the youth clinic or
came to see the adult women and
men of the community play the
District Attorney Office. The event
began with a well rounded clinic
that featured guest clinic facilitator
Female Community team take the court at the beginning of the game.
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Coach Mario Bright from the highly the community team Tiara Brown
national ranked basketball institution dropped an easy 16 points along
Wings Academy.
with help from the entire starting
five who each had double figures.
He along with others ran a clinic
that beforehand showcased boys and With a great appreciation for the
girls ages 7-18 receiving their height, DA Office females coming out
weight and blood pressure followed
to put on a friendly display of
by the Fire Department’s CPR Unit
showmanship it was now time for
orchestrating CPR training. Youth
the men to step up to the plate or
who participated shared their experather take the court. Countering
riences. Jesus age 13 said, “What I
the scrappy play of the DA men
learned from C-Ball clinic is how to
team was Community lead scorer
do CPR.” Christian age 11 years old Marvel who put up 14 points along
said, “What stuck with me is how
with a solid team effort altogether
to box out and get rebounds.” Luis
which captured what was becomage 15 said, “I learned how to play
ing a sure victory. Both half ’s were
defense.” Altogether, the youth as a
pretty much similar the Commucollective were pleased because they nity jumped on a lead and never
are learning and having fun in an
looked back. Coach Chyna had
atmosphere that was safe.
her boys up and down the court
playing together as one unit with
While the youth were wrapping up
great defense topped with a baltheir time on the court, the female
anced offense. The final score was
players started to show up for reg55 to 44 which racked up another
istration. As the music played by
W for the Community team which
DJ Tony Tone and DJ Outlaw enis so far undefeated against the city
tertained the crowd, it was time for
agencies.
a game to begin. Announcers LA
Sunshine and Mic Larry gave final
Although the community came
directions to the youth as the females out on top in both contests, the
both community and agency hit the
message of it all was togetherness.
floor for warm-up.
Having fun and working together
As the horn blew it was now game
to display a bond between agentime! This game from the first quar- cies and the community at large
ter on quickly became practice for
is what’s most important. Team
the community team which Coach
captain and Deputy Bureau Chief
Eagle held no punches from round
Aaron B. Kaplan said it best, “It
one on to the point of a knock out
was a great afternoon for the
that happened before the half. It was community, for the Bronx, and an
no contest and although the District honor to be a part of it (C-Ball).”
Attorney put up a fight on the same
day as the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao
As the DA office donated their
fight, it was little to nothing the DA
time to the likes of C-Ball for a
office could do. By half-time the
second year, it is more than likecommunity team was up double
ly they will be back to share the
digits approaching a blow out. As
same type of love but with an eye
the game fast forwarded to the final
on winning the next time around.
half the score board presented a final Although there are no winners and
score of 76 to 31. High scorer from
losers when you’re trying to save
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Reverand Joel Bauza shows up to bless the court
before play
the lives of youth, C-Ball is committed to inviting agencies like the
DA office to the table to participate.
This displays the integrity and care
from the DA Office led by the phenomenal work of District Attorney
Robert Johnson.
“It’s his direction as well as a wonderful team of employees that he
has working for him that cares
enough to donate their time so that
speaks volumes because they don’t
have to do this,” says Sleep Johnson.
If the people in partial of locking
up the bad people are participating
with the organization that’s counteracting such an act with a basketball event, this is the beginning of
attacking the problem head on with
hope of actual change. Therefore,
can we all say kudos to C-Ball and
the entire staff of the DA office!
[email protected]
7188.583.7017 (ext 150)