WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio — The community is coming together to help young men across Northeast Ohio.
It started Saturday morning at an event, but organizers hope those participating will carry what they learned for the rest of their lives.
“For this to be the fourth annual event, I’m extremely excited,” said 1,000 Ties Free Community Event keynote speaker Dawud Hamzah.
An annual tradition designed to make a difference in the lives of young men, like Amir Matthews Green, is back at Warrensville Heights Elementary School.
“It’s just fun experiences every time we get together,” said 1,000 Ties Free Community Mentee, Amir Matthew–Green.
The event known as "1,000 Ties" began after a personal experience CEO Jowan Smith says she had with her son.
“Prior to the pandemic, I started it and my goal was to have a day with our young men after I watched my son teach himself how to tie a tie on YouTube,” said Smith.
Now, Smith hopes to empower young men and their families.
“Some kids, they need a father figure or like some support to help them in life and to keep them out of trouble, and it’s just like a really good experience,” said Matthew – Green.
At the event, the young men and their families participated in different workshops focusing on mentorship, career readiness, and most importantly, learning how to tie a tie.
“I’m hoping today (Saturday) that the young men that are at this event that hear me speak, it really creates some transformation within them, so they start practicing the things that they were talking about. Not just hearing it,” said Hamzah.
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