New England Patriot Deatrich Wise joins Mattapan block party
BOSTON - A block party in Mattapan on Saturday included hair-braiding stations, live music, food trucks and New England Patriot DeatrichWise.
Wise hosted the third annual block party, focused on bringing people in the community together.
"It kind of reconnects everybody. There's a stigma here in Mattapan that's not so good. I think that this block party helps erase that stigma, kind of day by day," Wise said.
Those neighbors include Stacey Daily and her 3-year-old granddaughter.
"I like it because how everybody's coming out and they feel safe," Daily said
The day benefited the Josh Kraft Mattapan Teen Center at the Boys and Girls Club.
"Especially for the kids; it's buy-in for why being a part of a teen center and being part of an after-school program is so important," Rick Aggeler of the Josh Kraft Mattapan Teen Center.
It's the teen center that inspired Wise to get involved.
"To have people come out for one day and just support the kids - this is their day, honestly -- and support what they're doing here," Wise said.
And it's helping to bring people together in a positive way.
"People are coming out to learn about their city. They want to learn about it; they want to know what's going on," Stacey Daily said.
