Community members came together and pledged to be part of the solution to ending violence in Wareham during the Stop the Violence, Increase the Peace rally, held Saturday, February 26 at Wareham Middle School.

Following a spurt in violent crime in Wareham, Selectman Brenda Eckstrom introduced the idea for a rally during a recent Board of Selectmen meeting and the notion was met with a huge outpouring of community support. In addition to the Selectmen, school officials, and the Wareham Police Department, 20 local businesses and organizations contributed to the event. During the past several weeks, the group has been working to devise long-term goals to complement the rally to help to end community violence.

“Violence takes many forms, as does the solution,” Eckstrom said Saturday, thanking the community for the endless stream of ideas to help increase the peace in Wareham.

Board of Selectmen Chairwoman Jane Donahue and School Committee member Ken Fontes joined Eckstrom on stage. “It is all about the kids, and it starts at home,” they agreed.

Themes of unity and decision making were shared by all those who addressed the audience. The emotional testimony of Wendy Monteiro epitomized the need for the rally.

On September 5, 2009, Scotty Monteiro Jr., Monteiro’s nephew, was the innocent victim of gun violence at a party in Wareham. He tragically lost his life at just 21 years old.  He was a Wareham High School graduate who left behind a large family and countless friends, who have established the Scotty Monteiro Jr. Foundation in his honor.

The foundation, which Donahue called the starting point for the rally, is a non-profit organization that develops and maintains charitable programs centered on stopping  violence through education, awareness, and alternatives. The goal of the foundation is to use the power of positivity to provide the youth with confidence to succeed.

“I want you to feel a little bit of what his friends, family, and this organization feels,” she said. “Your actions, intentional or in an act of anger, will impact others.”

In addition to associating with delinquent peers, the use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco are risk factors for youth violence, according to the Center for Disease Control. Former Boston Celtic Chris Herren, who was also a guest speaker, shared his story of addiction and recovery.

“I had the opportunity to step-up and I didn’t,” Herren said, recalling one of his earliest memories of abusing alcohol. At age 14 or 15, he allowed a friend to drive home drunk. While Herren made it home safely, his friend was killed. “I was carrying his casket a week later,” he said.

Herren said that the choices he made changed his life. “I was a follower,” he said while emphasizing the importance of independent thinking to not falling victim to the grasp of drugs and alcohol.

Herren, a graduate of Durfee High School in Fall River, was a 1999 NBA second-round draft pick and played for the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics.  Now drug and alcohol free, he is focusing on putting his sobriety and family above all else. His basketball development company, Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren, Inc., trains basketball prospects throughout New England.

At the conclusion of his testimony, Herren offered Wareham children scholarships to his camp. Herren will return to share his story with Wareham students later in the year.