Lodi Peace Walk set for next Saturday
In an effort to promote diversity in Lodi and send a message of peace and unity, Lodians from all different backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, races and religions will come together for the third annual Lodi Peace Walk set for May 5. The walk will begin at 10 a.m., and those attending will march from the Veteran’s Plaza to Blakely Park.
“It’s not a protest,” event organizer Pastor Steve Newman said. “It’s not a rally for standing up for rights for this or that person or group. It’s a show of unity and an indication that we value and respect all people in our community, and we stand against violence, prejudice, bullying and intolerance of various kinds.”
Following the walk, a short rally will be held at Blakely Park, and Davis Mahoney will lead attendees in the national anthem. Mayor Alan Nakanishi, Lodi Police Chief Tod Patterson and Lodi Unified Superintendent Cathy Nichols-Washer are scheduled to speak during the event.
Patterson plans to touch on the city’s decrease in gang incidents over the years
“In 2011 we had approximately 270 incidents of gang violence, and in 2017, we were down to 44 incidents of gang violence,” Patterson said. “I think that’s an incredible drop, and I think it should be attributed to our department, the youth outreach workers and the community. It’s something we should take pride in as we continue to work together and continue to keep those numbers low.”
Patterson said he would like for the community to explore how it could better serve its youths. Due to budget constraints there are not a lot of outlets for the city’s youths, Patterson said, adding that kids need activities to keep them busy and out of trouble.
“In this day and age, when everybody is angry about something, we have to continue to come together and be respectful of each other’s right to free speech,” Patterson said. “We’re not always going to get along. We’re not always going to have the exact same thoughts and feelings, but we should be able to gather and peacefully talk some of those things out.”
Nichols-Washer said she wants to help support the message of what the walk represents.
“It represents kindness to each other,” she said. “Our children in our schools are working hard on how to be kind to each other, and we ask parents in our community to support that and encourage that with our children. We’ve had a big push this year. We have a kindness campaign, and that’s taken off in our schools. They’ve done a great job helping kids not only do more in terms of community service but also with in their own community and treating each other as friends and classmates with kindness.”
The rally will be followed by entertainment highlighting a variety of cultures and backgrounds.
“We’ll have a fun multicultural celebration that just gives the affirmation that we value each different part of our community,” Newman said. “We value the diversity, and the various cultures where people come from.”
The event will include Japanese folk dancers and music celebrating various cultures. The Community Partnership for Families of San Joaquin will feature an art project designed to show unity as a community.
“We have had art projects for the last two years, “Newman said. “People can participate and dip their thumbs in paint and put their thumbprint on the painting showing the unity and diversity of our community.”
Newman said volunteers have been working since last fall to make the event a success. He credited City Manager Steve Schwabauer for helping obtain the necessary city resources. The police department will be providing officers to lead the walk and Lodi firefighters will follow behind in a fire truck to protect participants from traffic. The city will also provide a shuttle bus to bring people back to the plaza after the event is over. The Boys and Girls Club will be providing bathrooms at Blakely Park for those attending the event as well as access to electricity for the public address system.
“The public is invited to come and participate,” Newman said. “For those who are not mobile, they can just come to the rally at the park. Children are welcome, and we’ll have some light refreshments and water available at the park.”