LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — Looking to make a bigger impact in their community, nine small business owners in Lockport are working to keep teens off the streets.
On Friday, October 23rd, Atlas Barber Co., JT's Mixed Martial Arts, TOYS from LO, Pagan's Barbershop, Parker's pit LLC, Hess MC and others will be reserving bowling lanes at Allie Brandt Lanes for teens to come and bowl.
"We've had a lot of negativity going on, and these kids need to know there's some positives going on," Mark Bruning from Parker's Pit said.
Each business will bring eight teens. The hope is they will be spending more time doing something constructive, led by business owners who all grew up in the area and dealt with similar hardships.
"They need someone they can relate to and look up to," Erin Burch said, "Especially now like never before with everything going on, we just need that good example for them."
The hope is to make this a weekly activity, getting groups of teens together with good role models.
"Make it a monthly thing," Jackson Elniskey of Atlas Barber co. said, "I want kids to see our posts and go 'Hey I want to be doing that instead of going to a party I don't need to be associated with'."
