“Hydrate the Hood” will return to Dallas on Aug. 19. This family, fun event is led by Katrina Chaney of The Dro Guapo Project and is designed to connect with the community and raise awareness of the impact of gun violence on communities.
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Meadow Stone Park (2700 Meadow Stone Ln. in Dallas).
During the event, members of The Dro Guapo Project distribute cases of water and juice to the community and also invite them to sit and listen to music, enjoy light refreshments and engage in conversation.
“We want to hydrate the community not only with water and juice but also with knowledge of the impacts of gun violence,” says Chaney. “People need to understand what happens when a bullet leaves a gun. You can not put the bullet back in a gun once it is out. It has to go somewhere. It comes down somewhere.”
Chaney founded non-profit The Dro Guapo Project after the passing of her son due to gun violence at age 27.
In addition to community awareness events like Hydrate the Hood, this organization aims to obtain a facility to offer youth access to positive programming to develop other interests like poetry, art, dance and music. Currently, Chaney and her team also provides meals to a community of senior citizens in South Dallas.
Champ Davis of Big Ball Entertainment who knew Dro Guapo, the non-profit namesake, spoke to his success and down the earth character.
“We want to make a positive out of a negative situation and bring the attention to stopping gun violence. We have to start somewhere and it has to be with our community and then spread out like this COVID-19,” said Davis. “It has to stop people are taking loved ones. It is nonsense.”
In the year of 2020, 43,578 people in the United States died from gun violence with 19,422 being homicides.
The group seeks to provide distributed cases of water, barbeque, and juice to youth and families during the hot summer months and also shares information about the impact of gun violence in communities.
For more information about the Dro Guapo Project, visit the facebook page..
