Project Helping Other People Excel (HOPE) held its second Youth-Teen Summit Saturday on the Bogalusa High School campus.

With music, free food, some well-known entertainment acts and more, organizers drew quite a crowd, making the second annual event even more of a success than last year’s, organizers said. Although the program was geared toward teenagers, there were quite a few younger children in attendance, happily playing on the Jumping Jupiter.

One of the program’s goals, according to organizers, was to bring something positive to the community, and judging by the turnout, they succeeded in doing that. However, it will take some time to find out if the main goal was met: to let the youth of Bogalusa and Washington Parish take what they learn at the summit and use it to better themselves.

Everyone who attended the Youth-Teen Summit enjoyed free food and drink, served by volunteers. Amber Kennerson (left), Destiny Jordan and Quashondra Morris dish up the goods. DAILY NEWS PHOTO/Jan Gibson Advertisement

To that end, many options for learning were offered, including financial literacy, maintaining good health, youth development, academic success and the dangers of drugs.

Benjamin Lewis and Sid Kennedy, drug counselors, spoke about drug abuse; Eddie Radcliff and Larry Watterson of the Washington Parish Men’s Club, handled youth development; Elbert Buckley and Emma Dixon lectured on finance; Dana Walker and Mark Ross spoke on academic achievement and students from Southern University Medical School spoke on maintaining good health.

“We had a strong attendance and many of them younger kids,” said organizer Jamal Richmond, “but they were respectful and they listened to the speakers. Many took literature home with them.”

Richmond noted that BHS Principal Pam Ard was on hand to kick off the evening program, which was highlighted by a number of local R&B, hip hop and contemporary artists who closed out the event.

“This was our second annual Teen Summit and we’re still building, really asking for community support to get bigger and better,” said Richmond. He thanked all the members of Project Hope — Chad Harry, Elbert Buckley, Laura Buckley, Norman Brock, Kelvin May, Edward Radcliff, Levi Lewis, Benjamin Lewis, Kenneth Martin, Janola Walker Jr., Milton Gholar, Faye Crump, Jonathan Peters, Claudia Richmond, Draycus Perry, Derrick Peters, Keith Sanders, Stephanie Breland, Teri Mangrum, Raymond Morris, Lazette Watterson, Celia Johnson, Dana Walker, Mark Ross, Jasmin Richmond, Roscoe Richmond, Robert Buckley, Hillary Harris Jr., Hillary Harris Sr., Lauron Toomer and Johnny Miles – for all their efforts. In addition, we’re grateful to all the student organizations that volunteered, our sponsors and guest artist Foxx-A-Million, who is nationally known, said Richmond. He also thanked Bogalusa High School for allowing us to use their facility.

More than 50 businesses and individuals helped sponsor the event.

“If we saved just one child,” Richmond concluded, “it was a successful day.”