The sound of children laughing and the uplifting notes from a live Christian band filled the air as the Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School (CCRMS) hosted the Pray East Palo Alto (EPA) festival for a second year on Saturday.
The live Christian music band with more than enough singers.
The event began last year as a response to a wave of shootings in the area. With help from the Sandhill Property Company, community organizer Mike Kramer, and city council member Lisa Gauthier, the local Christian community has found a way to bring the entire city of EPA together again.
“The faith community was trying to bring the entire EPA community together to have unity, pray for the future of EPA, and show strength together,” Kramer said.
This need for unity was particularly vital given EPA’s history: once known as the U.S. “murder capital”, the city has experienced a significant shift over the past few decades, culminating in last year’s report of zero murders.
The festival was held at Bell Street Park last year, but switched to CCRMS this year as the middle school is often seen as the heart of the community. “Having it in the center of town was a great way to get people together and raise awareness,” Kramer said.
While gathering together is key, faith and prayer are also at the core of the event.
But this event doesn’t discriminate; all religions are included. “When you have all these different denominations coming together for good, it can only help the community,” Gauthier said. “Look at the community: it is a very diverse group of people who are coming together for one purpose.” That one purpose is peace: peace in love, peace in prayer, and most importantly, peace within the community. With a Christian dominated setting, there were stations for you to be prayed over for anything you needed prayer for, like finding a job or forgiveness for your sins.
In addition to the spiritual elements, the festival offered many fun family attractions. Activities included an obstacle course, a super slide, a maze, a giant robot, a train ride for young kids, and many more. Food and other goods also took place at the event, including a concession stand selling sandwiches, chicken bowls, and water.
This year’s Pray EPA was an energetic celebration of faith, bringing the local community together for the second year in a row as a symbol of resilience.
