CHICAGO — For months, Ruvanna Campbell, one of the country's top college women's basketball players, wanted to honor Amari Brown, the 7-year-old who was slain in Humboldt Park while watching fireworks on the Fourth of July.
The senior's goal will be accomplished with Saturday afternoon's "Stop The Violence" game at the UIC Pavilion on the Near West Side. The game pits Campbell's team, the University of Illinois at Chicago Flames — against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"I first started talking to my teammates about the idea after Amari was killed," Campbell said. "Then I brought the idea to my coaches, and they brought it to UIC's [athletics department staff]. Honestly, I didn't think it would happen, and when I found out it was actually going to happen, I was very excited."
Campbell said members of Amari's family and those from the family of Tyshawn Lee, the 9-year-old who was playing basketball before he was lured to an alley and killed on Nov. 2, will attend the game. Tyshawn's mother, Karla, confirmed her attendance on Facebook.
I will be attending for my son this is for a good cause if u guys aren't busy this day meet me here #my voice...
Posted by Karla Lee on Monday, February 15, 2016
"I wanted to give back and wanted to do something for my last year here," Campbell said. "We want to show the kids some positives in the community, that there's a way to make it out, and for them to just be around the college atmosphere and basketball."
The goal of the game is to "not only generate awareness to the severity of the issue, but to honor families who have lost loved ones due to gun violence," according to the UIC women's basketball Facebook page. Campbell's boyfriend, local rapper Gino HaZe, will be performing a song "Put The Guns Down" during halftime.
“As busy as our Women’s Basketball student-athletes are with class, studying, practice, travel and competition, they took the time to think about victims of crime in Chicago," Tonya McGowan, UIC's senior associate athletic director/senior woman administrator, said in an email. "We applaud their efforts of being a collective voice to Stop the Violence.”
This Saturday February 20th I will be performing this song "PUT THE GUNS DOWN" at UIC Pavillion.COME SHOW SUPPOR.. SHARE ✈️
Posted by Gino HaZe on Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Campbell, who at one point lived with her six siblings and 11 other people at the West Side housing project home of her great aunt and legal guardian, is hoping to become the first player in Flames women's basketball history to be selected in the WNBA draft. The Crane High School graduate and 6-foot-3 forward is having a dominant senior season, averaging 37 minutes, 18.4 points and a conference-best 13.3 rebounds, for the 12-12 Flames.
The reigning Horizon League Player of the Week has 17 double-doubles this year and is 97 rebounds away from the all-time conference record of 1,286 held by Christy Greis (Evansville, 1989-93).
After her basketball career concludes, Campbell, a criminal law and justice major, wants to serve as a probation officer in Chicago.
Saturday's game begins at 3 p.m. at the Pavilion, 525 S. Racine Ave. Tickets are $8. For more information, click here.
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