INDIANAPOLIS — As March Madness continues around the country, March Gladness is sharing some advice with Indianapolis' youth.
Every year, Pastor Donald Bernard Edwards JR. and the Church of Glory on the city’s east side hosts March Gladness to serve the youth.
“We try to bring joy to our community by giving away gift cards, book bags, different stuff that educate our children,” explained Edwards.
This year’s theme was encouraging teens to be an influencer rather than a follower.
“In the society we live in now, there's a lot of followers,” said Edwards. “Our children don't have a lot of people who are there to listen to them and encourage them.”
The program included prizes, music, games and a collection of speakers sharing insights on how to best prepare for life’s biggest obstacles.
The event comes at a crucial time as Indianapolis saw a record number of youth homicides in 2023.
"We're trying to teach our young people that it's good to be different in the right kind of way,” said Edwards. “To influence young people to do the right thing instead of doing the wrong thing.”
The event included representatives from The Center for Leadership Development as students were encouraged to take advantage of resources like financial aid and extracurriculars to prepare them for adulthood.
