The Derrick Brooks Charities Youth Programs Advisory Committee, Bealls Stores, City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department, East Tampa Business and Community Development Alliance, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Police Department, Tampa Fire Rescue, NFL Alumni and other local organizations held its Annual Back 2 School event on Saturday, August 2nd at the Jackson Heights NFL YET Center. TPD Chief Lee Bercaw, HCSO Major James Jackson, Owen Young, Chief of Student, Family, and Community Engagement of Hillsborough County Schools, and Rev. Jacqueline Coffie-Leeks, Chairperson of the Derrick Brooks Charities Youth Programs Advisory Committee were the featured speakers according to Jamal Jefferson, Site Coordinator for the City of Tampa’s NFL YET Center. Approximately 400 students and families attended this event, in addition to several local vendors.
This is an annual event that is almost 20 years old according to Diedrea Anthony with the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department. “This is my 10th year at this center and we get better every year,” said Jamal Jefferson. “There are many other great back-to-school events and all of them are needed. We host a 4-hour event of information, education, and talent shows because our partners require us to educate and inform,” Jefferson added.
In addition to providing backpacks, there were first responders, educators and community leaders in attendance, educating residents on community safety, education and community involvement. Owen Young told the attendees that the Hillsborough County School District is here to educate every student because students and parents are their top priority. Jacqueline Coffie-Leeks reminded everyone in attendance that parents and youth must be prepared to go back to school ready to learn and we are holding everyone accountable including the families and the school district. Owen Young and Jacqueline Coffie-Leeks encouraged the parents to check on their children while they are in school and to spend educational time with them after school.
TPD Chief Lee Bercaw told the attendees that his department looks forward to supporting this and other events like it, and they can call on TPD for community involvement anytime. He always makes sure TPD is at the table when planning this event. Major James Jackson of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office stated his agency will always be anywhere requested to empower youth and residents because that’s the vision Sheriff Chad Chronister has for the agency.
The crowd enjoyed entertainment from youth from local city parks and recreation sites. “These youth are so talented and it’s evident these parks and recreation staff work with them to develop it,” said Col. Melissa Moore of the HCSO.
Darrell Daniels, Executive Director of Derrick Brooks Charities Youth Programs said, “We have a 47-member leadership team made up of almost every facet of the community. They know what to do because they listen to the community.” He said the advisory committee and its partners have been so good at this for so many years that some of the team members including Rev. Jacqueline Coffie-Leeks, Diedrea Anthony, Major Rocky Ratliff, Ronald and Cassandra Blaylock are headed to Pensacola next Saturday to do the same thing. “Our partnerships with law enforcement, youth service organizations, faith-based organizations and the community have allowed us to show other cities, like Pensacola, how to replicate what we do,” Daniels said.
In addition to information from several vendors and entertainment from local youth, volunteers and vendors were treated to a breakfast of fish, grits and shrimp courtesy of the charity and the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation culinary teams. Everyone was treated to hot dogs and hamburgers.
