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Meek Mill, Michael Rubin host Philly sports event for families impacted by criminal justice system

Published  December 13, 2022 10:34pm EST
Philadelphia
FOX 29 Philadelphia

Meek Mill, Michael Rubin host Philly sports event for families impacted by criminal justice system

The REFORM Alliance hosted more than 25 children from Pennsylvania and New Jersey whose lives "have been negatively impacted by an unjust probation system."

PHILADELPHIA - Rapper Meek Mill and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin teamed up with local sports teams to provide children with a "once-in-a-lifetime event."

The REFORM Alliance hosted more than 25 children from Pennsylvania and New Jersey whose lives "have been negatively impacted by an unjust probation system."

The children's day started at the Philadelphia Eagles practice facility, where Meek and Rubin accompanied the children and their families for an up close and person look at on-flied life. 

"I enjoyed the meeting, I enjoyed the draft and drills and stuff like that," Raven Smaller said. "It feels fun, there were great activities today and I got to meet Meek." 

Raven and her brother Saeen were at Tuesday's event with their father, Reginald, who was once incarcerated. He said after he finished parole he was given additional supervision after he was in a car accident that left him in a coma and unable to report to his probation officer. 

More than 20 kids participated in REFORM Alliance's Season of Giving, supporting families who were impacted by the criminal justice system.

"There are hundreds of thousands of people who don't have the voice who normally wouldn't be heard and are now starting to get the light shinned on their individual situations and cases," Reginald said.

The last stop in the daylong event was at the Wells Fargo Center where the kids represented by REFORM Alliance held a Q and A with Sixers Head Coach Doc Rivers, then got to ring the ceremonial bell before tipoff. 

"This was definitely the best day on my like, and I got to meet Meek Mill which is really cool," Cecilia Ballas said. 

The entire event was to advocate for people caught in the system of what they call technical violations. 

"A lot of these kids get affected by these things, I happen to be one of those kids affected, I was affected by the system, affected by violence and my Dad was killed in the neighborhood, so I know what it means," Meek Mill said.