AUBURN GRESHAM — St. Sabina Church officials announced Wednesday it will be able to buy 180 guns this weekend at a gun buyback event instead of 150 thanks to more donations.
"No church money or money from the Archdiocese is being used for this buyback," said the Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina.
The gun buyback event is for anyone between 16 to 30 years old and will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Sabina, 1210 W. 78th Place.
Those who turn in a gun will receive either a $100 gift card or a pair of Adidas gym shoes, Pfleger said. Gift cards will be distributed at the event, but those who choose to receive gym shoes will have to come back within a week to pick them up.
"There will be a list of shoes they can choose from that Adidas will provide us," Pfleger said. "I want to target this age group because research has shown that gun violence has the greatest impact on this group the most."
He added that an offer he made in April to pay $5,000 to anyone who turns in those selling guns on the street still stands.
"The money to pay for this offer will come from individuals who have made a financial commitment for this cause," he said. John Rogers, founder of Chicago-based Ariel Investments Inc., is one of the financial supporters, he said.
Rogers was unavailable for comment.
Kids and young adults, such as Ondelee Perteet, are often victims of gun violence, Pfleger said.
Perteet, a 19-year-old Bronzeville resident who joined Pfleger at the announcement Wednesday, said he was shot Sept. 5, 2009, leaving him in a wheelchair. In 2011, a Cook County jury found Robert Sansberry guilty of aggravated battery with a firearm in the shooting and Sansberry was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
"I was at a birthday party for my sister on the West Side, and a guy I got into an argument with waited for me to come outside and shot me in my jaw," Perteet said. "What he did was senseless and wrong."
The church will also host a free block party from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at Renaissance Park, 1230 W. 79th St., that will include food, music and games such as a bean bag toss, basketball, flag football and a sack race.
A voter registration table will also be set up for residents to register for the November election.
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