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‘Dare to Dream’ rally unifies Beloit
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| The Even Start Dancers performed a routine at the Dare to Dream Unity Rally held at Beloit Memorial High School on Saturday. The rally was dedicated to empowering our communities, citizens and children against violence, gangs, exploitation and drugs. Staff photo by Hilary Dickinson |
By Hilary Dickinson
hdickinson@beloitdailynews.com
When Terese Tann and Tasheka Perry were growing up in Beloit there were carnivals, recreational nights, dances and, most importantly, people to look up to.
“We had so many role models,” Perry said. “Now children have no direction, and we want them to know there are people who really care about what’s best for them.”
Instead of just standing by and not doing anything about this problem, as Tann said, she and Perry organized “Dare to Dream,” a unity rally dedicated to empowering our communities, citizens and children against violence, gangs, exploitation and drugs.
Held Saturday from 2-4 p.m. in the Beloit Memorial High School cafeteria, the event featured dance performances, citizen remarks, and speeches from local community leaders, students and a local dance group called Stylez Unknown.
Jason Regan-Gonzalez, from the group, used his passion for dancing as an example to encourage the kids and teenagers in attendance to make good use of their talent.
“How many of you out there have talents?” he asked.
“Use that talent to keep you from doing things on the street. This is fun,” he said of his dancing. “That’s not.”
One must have passion, he said, noting drugs and alcohol “only slow you down.”
School District of Beloit Superintendent Milton Thompson also spoke of the need for children to pursue their ambitions and for — perhaps one day — a future President of the United States to hail from Beloit.
“We want to make sure each child goes away to college and comes back to Beloit,” he said. “Beloit shouldn’t be a community where people drive through, but instead one that you notice.”
For Mike Rorabeck from the John Doe Movement, Beloit’s problem is the lack of involvement in fixing problems of violence and drugs.
“We don’t put other people first because it’s easy to think of yourself first,” he said. “As a community, we need to join together in making the community what we dream it to be.”
To attain those dreams for Beloit, Perry and Tann encouraged guests to write what they would like to be done in the community on a large Dare to Dream banner.
Donated by Pacific Graphics Inc., the banner will be hung up at City Hall as a constant reminder of what Beloiters are trying to accomplish, Perry said.
For as much as the unity rally was about hoping for the future, it was also about learning from the past.
Tony Cerniglia, who runs a local business designing T-shirts, said he knew recent local homicide victims 19-year-old Darrellwar Tillman and 18-year-old Joseph Debuque.
“When I see people die of violence, it breaks my heart,” he said. “I would love to do more T-shirts for birthdays and graduations — not all these in memoriam ones.”
In fact, the homicides of those two teenagers along with the one of 17-year-old Gina Zamora last month was the breaking point for Perry and Tann, who emphasized the need for the community’s support.
“We don’t want to lose any more of our babies,” Perry said. “We are just fed up, and want our children safe.”
Perry and Tann, who are not affiliated with any organization but are simply “concerned citizens,” plan on holding future events such as fairs and rallies focusing on a safe Beloit.
“Anything to get the kids off the streets is our goal,” Perry said.
“We had so many role models,” Perry said. “Now children have no direction, and we want them to know there are people who really care about what’s best for them.”
Instead of just standing by and not doing anything about this problem, as Tann said, she and Perry organized “Dare to Dream,” a unity rally dedicated to empowering our communities, citizens and children against violence, gangs, exploitation and drugs.
Held Saturday from 2-4 p.m. in the Beloit Memorial High School cafeteria, the event featured dance performances, citizen remarks, and speeches from local community leaders, students and a local dance group called Stylez Unknown.
Jason Regan-Gonzalez, from the group, used his passion for dancing as an example to encourage the kids and teenagers in attendance to make good use of their talent.
“How many of you out there have talents?” he asked.
“Use that talent to keep you from doing things on the street. This is fun,” he said of his dancing. “That’s not.”
One must have passion, he said, noting drugs and alcohol “only slow you down.”
School District of Beloit Superintendent Milton Thompson also spoke of the need for children to pursue their ambitions and for — perhaps one day — a future President of the United States to hail from Beloit.
“We want to make sure each child goes away to college and comes back to Beloit,” he said. “Beloit shouldn’t be a community where people drive through, but instead one that you notice.”
For Mike Rorabeck from the John Doe Movement, Beloit’s problem is the lack of involvement in fixing problems of violence and drugs.
“We don’t put other people first because it’s easy to think of yourself first,” he said. “As a community, we need to join together in making the community what we dream it to be.”
To attain those dreams for Beloit, Perry and Tann encouraged guests to write what they would like to be done in the community on a large Dare to Dream banner.
Donated by Pacific Graphics Inc., the banner will be hung up at City Hall as a constant reminder of what Beloiters are trying to accomplish, Perry said.
For as much as the unity rally was about hoping for the future, it was also about learning from the past.
Tony Cerniglia, who runs a local business designing T-shirts, said he knew recent local homicide victims 19-year-old Darrellwar Tillman and 18-year-old Joseph Debuque.
“When I see people die of violence, it breaks my heart,” he said. “I would love to do more T-shirts for birthdays and graduations — not all these in memoriam ones.”
In fact, the homicides of those two teenagers along with the one of 17-year-old Gina Zamora last month was the breaking point for Perry and Tann, who emphasized the need for the community’s support.
“We don’t want to lose any more of our babies,” Perry said. “We are just fed up, and want our children safe.”
Perry and Tann, who are not affiliated with any organization but are simply “concerned citizens,” plan on holding future events such as fairs and rallies focusing on a safe Beloit.
“Anything to get the kids off the streets is our goal,” Perry said.
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