Team Billy Ray

Motivated to see a slain teen's dream come true. A community center in his neighborhood for kids to have somewhere safe to hang out. TeamBillyRay!

[Parks Tacoma @parkstacoma]

When the doors opened on Oct 20, 2018, Eastside Community Center became a space for kids & adults to learn and grow, and for the neighborhood to gather and thrive thanks to @ShalisaHayes and many others!

Check it out for yourself and #ExperienceEastside
https://t.co/RAWk6xLtyq

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

WE'RE NOT DONE YET!!

While we celebrated Billy Ray's life, there were other families in mourning. The Eastside Community Center now also houses a mural dedicated to all young lives we've lost. Watch this clip to learn more about it and find out what I am asking of all of you...

[Matt Driscoll @mattsdriscoll]

Five years ago I wrote about the push to make the Eastside Community Center a reality, and Shalisa Hayes, the grieving mother leading the charge.

Today I wrote about a statue of her son, Billy Ray, finally being unveiled at the center.

https://t.co/xcp1pGJ3mG

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

...lots [of] money so they live in their house if they don't have a home yet. Because I don't want violence and sick people and homeless people dying because [they] have no food or water to drink" 2/2

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

In case you can't read his handwriting, here are his words:

"If I could make anything, I would make peace and stop violence and help homeless get a home and help people that are in the hospital and help orphans get a home and get them a mom and a dad and help orphans get...1/2

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

COVID has caused the new Community Center to shutdown, but recently its opened to give the houseless a warm place to be during these gut wrenching cold nights.

I'm reminded of the journal entry Billy Ray wrote when he was 8. He wanted no violence and for everyone to have a home.

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

ARRIVAL - April 3, 1994
DEPARTURE - August 27, 2011

RIP 🎲🎲

#TeamBillyRay

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

TURNING GRIEF INTO GROWTH

Check out Billy Ray's mom on "The Toolkit" podcast as she shares the Billy Ray story, her work with grieving mothers and her opportunity to share her story on the international stage.

Link: https://t.co/KGPzVSRns8 on #SoundCloud

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

Saw these fellas at 1 of the tables outside of the coffee shop at the comm cntr. Watching these little ones enjoying each others company, oblivious to me standing there, made my heart flutter. There are so many places they could've been, but they chose the Eastside Community Cntr

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

Billy Ray being represented in the skate community.

[Parks Tacoma @parkstacoma]

We are so proud of @ShalisaHayes and @BillyRayCC for sparking the movement that brought Eastside Community Center to Tacoma! Thank you @regencewa for featuring this story.

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

@metparkstacoma @gmpfoundation

[Regence BlueShield @RegenceWA]

In 2011, Shalisa Hayes lost her 17-year-old son to gun violence. In the midst of her grief, she remembered a conversation she’d had with her son about six months before he was killed. Watch to see how one mom used her loss to realize her son’s vision. https://t.co/WDZV8AOlpa

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

Billy Ray’s mom on a panel in Portland alongside Jorge Casimiro, President of the Nike Foundation sharing their stories and the importance of making a difference in their respective communities and globally. A... https://t.co/Z1r4X2ioEX

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

Who could use an extra $50??? https://t.co/ABjDwO4HY3

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

Eastside Community Center in the news. I see a lot of happy faces!!

https://t.co/RvL08kK9u5 https://t.co/RvL08kK9u5

[Eileen Walker @EileenLWalker]

.@RegenceWA is a proud sponsor of the first Eastside Community Center Health Conf. Thx to @metparkstacoma & also @ShalisaHayes for her inspiring contributions! #Tacoma #Community

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

Free!! https://t.co/ERthMyqeqR

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

FYI - No open gym this Saturday but there is open gym all day Sunday! https://t.co/TujCYnTYKs

[Team Billy Ray @BillyRayCC]

Wish I could skip Monday and slide into Friday like Mama Sherman (NFL Player Richard Sherman’s mother) just skipped the stairs and slid to the bottom floor. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/XFzMzkkOSH