“I’m trying to change the world……. erasing all the pain and all the hurt”. Words spoken by 17 year old Billy Ray Shirley, III, a teenager who spent countless hours volunteering his time helping others while hoping to make changes within his community. As a resident of the east side of Tacoma, Washington, Billy Ray dreamed of opening his own community center in the neighborhood where he not only lived, but recognized the lack of facilities that provide a safe place, as well as activities that cater to youth within the neighborhood. Unfortunately, he became a victim of homicide before he could make his dream come true.
Shocked by this tragedy, friends of Billy Ray from near and far have come together to work on making sure his death was not in vain. They have pledged to make his dream of a community center come true. Youth (known as Team Billy Ray) and adults alike have banned together to host fundraisers and have met with many city and state leaders to spread the word and gain support for this worthy cause. Our goal is to acknowledge that if a 17 year old child can notice the lack of support given to the children in this particular community, then we too can recognize this and do something about it. Whether you donate funds or offer a helping hand, please join us in our quest to build a place that meets the needs of these children, keeping them from falling to the same fate as Billy Ray.
Peace Out, Inc. (http://www.mypeaceout.org/) is a non-profit organization that teaches teens the significance of supporting their community through fundraising and donating to charities. Billy Ray spent much of his time volunteering, learning and working with the staff at Peace Out where his love for helping others continued to grow. Below is a rap song that he wrote and performed on a local radio station sharing his feelings for the work that he and this organization did. We hope that more youth will be inspired to find opportunities to help others within their community and work to find to alternatives to violence.
"I do whatever it takes to help my community...... move by move, step by step, I'm a facilitator, but really I'm a philanthropist……. not just me, but you gotta get down with this. Every Saturday I volunteer for the best thing on earth, I'm try'na change the world, erasing all the pain and all the hurt. Volunteering for this program brings me joy and makes me wanna shout, that's why Billy the Kid be like Peace Out or PEACE OUT!!" ~Billy Ray Shirley, III
WE DID IT!!!
Many thanks to all of you who have helped along the way. Through much collaboration and great partnerships, Billy Ray's dream has come true. The new Eastside Community Center, a 55,000 square foot, state of the art facility which boasts amenities such as a swimming pool, a social hall, a gym, a music recording studio, a tech lounge, and many other spaces opened its doors on October 20, 2018!
In honor of Billy Ray and the young people of Team Billy Ray, the recording studio located inside the Center was named after Billy Ray and a bronze life-size statue of him was installed on October 19, 2021 at the entrance of the Center. A plague naming each of the young people (Team Billy Ray) who contributed to this project from beginning to end is also on display. Thank you all for everything! Our focus will now stay solely on our youth violence prevention program which we plan to host inside the new community center and/or focus our efforts on supporting other youth violence prevention programs in the area.
((Photo Courtesy of Korsmo Construction))
(Billy Ray Statue)
"Billy Ray was fond of saying "I got this!" whenever someone needed a hand. The Eastside Community Center is proof that when young people dream big, anything is possible - YOU GOT THIS!"
