Posts Tagged ‘Southwest Community Center’

Why Rap?

Friday, April 27th, 2012
Joe Clair, entertainer and health advocate visited Syracuse with the Rap It Up Campaign.

Joe Clair, entertainer and health advocate, visited Syracuse with the Rap It Up Campaign.

Comedian, actor and former VJ Joe Clair (aka Cleezy) brought humor and but also a generous dose of reality to the Southwest Community Center in Syracuse yesterday during the Rap It Up event. He talked about a family member being HIV positive and having to take 30 pills a day for the past 20 years to maintain. At the same time he said, those same medicines can do damage to the body.

Rap It Up Event Panel

Rap It Up Event Panel

As a moderator a panel that included Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Cynthia Morrow, adolescent health specialist Dr. Jeri Dyson and singer Sammie, Clair kept it real by enlightening and entertaining the crowd, young and old, with sobering statistics and the need for prevention of sexually-transmitted diseases.

“Some of these disease do not have symptoms,” Clair said. “That’s why you need to get tested.”

Below hear Dr. Dyson talk about diseases that do not go away.

Hoop Dreams

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012


A week before the Big Dance,  we got to see two action-packed games during the BBBL (Baby Boomers Basketball League) Final Four.

The league is going strong after 15 years, and now includes about dozen teams.

We asked one of the players after the first semi-final game, which went down to the final possession (his team was favored), Why didn’t you guys pull that one out?

“Sometimes it just wasn’t meant to be,” he said.  “That’s why they call it March Madness.”

This weekend’s Finals showcases team Tighten Up with Bernard Blunt (formerly of St. Joseph’s–PA) versus  B&B Lounge with (former SU point guard) Lazarus Sims.

Doing the right thing

Friday, September 30th, 2011
Actor, producer, director and activist Rosie Perez speaks at the SWCC

Actor, producer, director, choreographer and activist Rosie Perez speaks at the SWCC

Bravo to Rosie Perez who continues to use her platform as a celebrity to bring HIV/AIDS awareness across the country. She spoke last night during a program at the Southwest Community Center for Fighting AIDS/HIV thru Case Management, Education and Support (F.A.C.E.S.).

Hoping for Community Unity

Friday, July 29th, 2011
Team A.N.G.E.L.

Team A.N.G.E.L.

Members of the group Team A.N.G.E.L. spoke to civil eaders and community members at a forum held at Le Moyne College Wednesday.

Team members Ed Mitchell, Jr., Ryedell Davis, Isaiah Gregory and Schenise Stevens described their summer program, located at the Southwest Community Center, and their attempt to branch out to other sectors of the city.

A.N.G.E.L. stands for Avoid Negative Garbage Enjoy Life.

Ed Mitchell, Jr. shows a memorial poster made by teens in the Team A.N.G.E.L. Program

Ed Mitchell, Jr. shows a memorial poster made by teens in the Team A.N.G.E.L. Program

March Madness

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
Players Ball

Players Ball/Ballers Play (40 and over)

Brothers from the BBBL (Baby Boomers Basketball League), also known as the Over 40 League, showed they still have game during this year’s tournament championship held at the Southwest Community Center on Sunday. Ballard Construction featuring Julius “Pop” Anderson, Roosevelt “Pony” Bullock, Howard Triche and Gary Sparks defeated the Cuse O.Gees.