Area Communities Gather For Grant Basketball Tournament

MALDEN, MA — Teens, community organizations and area law enforcement personnel gathered in Everett this past weekend for the 13th annual Shannon Grant Basketball Tournament.

Drawing participants from Everett, Malden, Somerville, Revere, Cambridge, Chelsea and Winthrop, the event aimed to support efforts to fight youth violence and gang involvement in area communities. It featured a cookout, ice cream truck, three-point contest, an artist visit and backyard games.

Cambridge and Malden teams battled for the eventual tournament win, with Cambridge inching past Malden.

“When people ask me what’s one of the best ways we can continue to move our communities forward, I always respond that it’s through partnerships especially like the ones on display at the 2023 Shannon Basketball Tournament,” Malden Mayor Gary Christenson said in a statement after the tournament.

He celebrated area leaders and organizations coming together and credited the Metropolitan Area Planning Council with helping organize and run the event.

The tournament dates back to 2009, involving youth, law enforcement, and organizations in the Metro Mayors Shannon Grant Community Safety Initiative. The Community Safety Initiative utilizes state funding to back regional efforts to lower rates of gang violence through law enforcement, job training and after school programs.

The Shannon Grant tournament location rotates through area communities each year.