Recognizing and celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Father's Day Rally Committee, Inc. in their efforts to promote positive programs and activities for the African-American male population of our great City.

WHEREAS, The mission of the Father's Day Rally Committee is to promote positive action and interaction among individuals to prompt a more aggressive hands-on approach towards resolving a range of problems confronting African-American communities in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley; and

WHEREAS, The Father's Day Rally Committee created "Operation Footprint," a mentoring program for youth. Traveling throughout the public school system in Philadelphia, the program reached over 5,000 high school students; and

WHEREAS, The Father's Day Rally Committee organized a Month of Peace in May as part of our ongoing Peace Campaign. Activities included daily visits to bus stops, walks in 25 neighborhood shopping districts and door-to-door canvassing in selected neighborhoods. The campaign reached more than 35,000 Philadelphians; and

WHEREAS, The Father's Day Rally Committee organized a citywide "March for Peace" on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The event drew over l, 000 individuals who marched in a Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood after two African-American men were shot at a basketball game; and

WHEREAS, The Father's Day Rally Committee developed and implemented a “Twilight Basketball League” in conjunction with the City of Philadelphia. For seven weeks, the league hosted 75 young men, playing games from 10:00pm to 2:00am, two nights each week; and

WHEREAS, The Father's Day Rally Committee organized the African American Summit on 'Black on Black Crime', calling for the entire community to work together to solve the City's crime problem. The recommendations of the meeting were published in the

Philadelphia "Daily News."

Father's Day Rally Committee received 380 responses from the newspaper article; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby recognizes and celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Father's Day Rally Committee in their efforts to promote positive programs and activities for the African-American male population of our great city.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution to be presented to Bilal Abdul Qayyum, President and Executive Director of the Father's Day Rally Committee as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

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