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Back to school fair honors A.J. Hill, promotes peace in community
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FRANKLIN, La. (KLFY) -- The Franklin Community Center is hosting this year's Back to School Fair, an event dedicated to supporting children as they prepare for the new school year and honoring the memory of A.J. Hill, who was tragically killed in 2016.
The Back to School Fair aims to provide children with essential supplies and services, including backpacks and haircuts, while promoting a message of non-violence in the community.
"This is an event that my nephew cherished, and he would always be the first one to get here and the last one to leave. This was his dream and this was his legacy to give the kids fresh cuts," said Debra Bailey, A.J. Hill's aunt.
"Alfred was a very loving, kind young man. He had great compassion, great integrity, great character, and much love for the young people," said Donald Foulcard, A.J. Hill's uncle.
Hill was killed in November 2016 while running his food truck in New Orleans, a tragedy that deeply affected his family and the community.
"I would just like to tell the youth to please, please, please put the guns down, resolve conflict in peaceful ways because when you pull that trigger, your life is over too," said Bailey.
The event serves as a reminder of Hill's dedication to the community and his desire to create a positive impact on the lives of young people.
"We're asking folks to please put the guns down. Stop attempting to solve all of the problems with the barrel of a gun and let us peacefully resolve issues with love and peace," said Mayor Foulcard.
The fair not only provides tangible support to children but also serves as a platform to advocate for non-violence and peaceful conflict resolution.
The Back to School Fair continues to honor A.J. Hill's legacy by encouraging young people to choose hope over violence, aiming to inspire change and foster a safer community.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.