*All photos by Level Up Photoz and can be reached at levelupphotoz@gmail.com.
Mecklenburg County, NC – Youth Advocate Programs’ Inc., (YAP®) Alternatives to Violence (ATV) teams hosted its 2nd Annual Sneaker Ball to raise awareness of gun violence prevention and connect with program participants, their families, and neighbors on Sunday, Aug. 9 at Venue at 8470.
Sponsored by Healthy Blue Care Together, the Sneaker Ball provided YAP® ATV members an opportunity to invite the community they serve to enjoy music, food, mingling and dancing - all while sharing how they detect and interrupt unhealthy behaviors and support individuals who are at the greatest risk of engaging in violence with educational, emotional and economic tools that provide practical life choice alternatives.
YAP® became the city’s first ATV partner with the Beatties Ford Road site in 2021 as part of a partnership with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. YAP® was chosen as part of ATV’s expansion in 2023 to manage one of two additional sites — the one at West Boulevard/Remount Road.
A UNC Charlotte’s Urban Institute released a year three study in December 2025 on the YAP ATV Beatties Ford Road program which found a significant decrease in violence. Among the Key Findings, more community members rejected violence; violent crime rates began to stabilize; YAP ATV areas experienced a reduction in robbery and nonfatal homicides; and fewer community members reported witnessing or experiencing violence.
Additionally, the YAP® ATV teams hosted the Sneaker Ball in conjunction with YAP®’s Mecklenburg County Juvenile Justice Program that has partnered with the court system since 2019 – where through referrals – program participants are matched with a neighborhood-based YAP Advocate who champions for them and their families.
Follow YAP Charlotte’s – Mecklenburg County Facebook page for more information, or visit yapinc.org.
