BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Positive vibes spread far and wide on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo, but behind the gathering was a deeper meaning.
"Violence stops with us. It stops with us, by what? By educating our young people," Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S. President Lenny Lane said.
It is all part of a month-long initiative various nonprofits in Buffalo have been working on leading up to this week: National Youth Violence Prevention Week.
The annual Toy Gun Exchange, in collaboration with Back to Basics outreach ministry and Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S., was put together for kids to trade in their toy guns for a more productive, nonviolent toy.
"Emphasize the need for our young people to turn in their toy guns so that in hopes that they never pick up a real gun for the purposes of violating the law by shooting someone or carrying a possession," Back to Basics Outreach Ministries President and CEO Pastor James Giles said.
Toy guns were exchanged for things like sports equipment, fishing rods, skateboards and bikes.
"Lost my basketball, so I wanted to get another basketball," Jacob, who was pretty ecstatic about his trade, said.
He also won a new bike from a raffle.
Mical Badger's son Zack also walked away with a new bike from the raffle. As of Wednesday, their home no longer has toy guns.
"I think it was important because when a kid is in the house playing with guns all the time, it's not as good as being outside with bicycles, and scooters getting the fresh air, so I just traded all the guns in and got a bike," Badger said.
"They feel very real, this is almost as heavy as the M16," Pastor Giles explained, showing the various toy gun sizes that were traded in.
"If a police officer were to see this out in the streets or in the community, they wouldn't hesitate to shoot, you know what I mean?...Because they don't know if it's real or not," Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S. President Lenny Lane said.
The timing of the toy exchange comes as Buffalo nears the three-year mark of the Tops mass shooting. The exchange was done in the lot across from the grocery store.
"Bring consciousness to, 'Hey, violence hurts everyone,' and we want our children to know that and understand that and want them to be representatives of peace when they grow up, not war," Pastor Giles shared.
