Hilltop Youth Rise Festival encourages connections between kids, police

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — The annual Hilltop Youth Rise Festival took place Saturday afternoon, connecting community kids with Columbus police officers.

The event is hosted by the non-profit MY project USA in partnership with the Columbus police. The festival has been taking place since 2018, and founder Zerqa Abid said the overall goal is to make sure kids in the community build and maintain healthy relationships with police officers.

"Their connection with police officers and playing games with them or being able to pick a ball, soccer ball or something that really helps to control the fear that may have you know, they may have for the police officers," Abid said.

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The event took place from 4-7 p.m. at the Wedgewood Apartments with free food, games and activities for everyone can enjoy.

"This is just a place where they all can come as community," Abid said. "But another side of this festival is that we use this as a training place for our youth leaders."

Abid said 38 youth leaders who participate in this program helped to plan the event, adding that the goal moving forward is to hopefully expand this festival to communities throughout Ohio.

"How do we replicate this this project into other neighborhoods?" Abid said. "From Cincinnati, from Akron, from other cities, to how to help them address these same issues."