On Friday, April 22, the Boyz to Kings family, along with several donors and volunteers sacrificed their time and resources to reach out to the young men of Madison, Monticello and Gainesville during the Boyz to Kings All Boyz Lock-In at the Madison County Central School gym.
This event lasted from 6 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. the following day and, believe it or not, the majority of the youth did not close their eyes one minute for sleep because they were having so much fun.
“We decided to eliminate just talking and show the youth what we wanted them to understand. Since we had their full attention, we displayed business men to them that shared how [the boys] could become business owners,” said Boyz to Kings visionary Merv Mattair.
City of Madison Police Chief Ken Moore and Captain Tyrone Edwards gave hands-on demonstrations on police stops and how to deal with “good” cops and “bad” cops. At the lock-in, happily married couples and individuals also made appearances to show the youth that happy marriages do exist. Marcus Hawkins and his family also delivered a message about the importance of family.
Willie Spears with the Florida Department of Health provided the youth with a message that resonated with the youth and adults. He echoed the Boyz to Kings’ daily messages by encouraging the young men to respect every woman, to work on being faithful now, to value their families and to realize that what they do to someone else's daughter may come back to their daughter or family member.
In total, there were 120 young men who attended the lock-in and several adults provided their physical support. Safety was a priority and Boyz to Kings held to that standard.
“Thanks to every parent who trusted your child with us,” said Mattair. “We want to thank everyone who contributed to this... you know who you are and the boys know who you are as well. We appreciate everything you did and will continue to do for the betterment of our youth.”