Mayzville Ball’s ‘Stop the Violence’ Halloween Funday Brings Hundreds of Families to Tricentennial Park
Local organizer Mayzville Ball paid out of his own pocket to host a free Halloween gathering at Tricentennial Park, offering children a safe alternative to street trick-or-treating and calling on more fathers to help.
MOBILE, Ala. — Traffic backed up at the entrance of Tricentennial Park on Halloween as hundreds of local families arrived for a party with a purpose.
The free late-afternoon “Stop the Violence Halloween Funday,” hosted by local philanthropist Mayzville Ball on Oct. 31, gave neighborhood children a safe, lively space to celebrate as an alternative to traditional street trick-or-treating.
For Ball, the event was a deliberate stand against the street violence that has touched surrounding neighborhoods.
“I’m really bringing everyone together… no violence, everything just peaceful out here,” Ball said during an on-site interview. “All the kids are having fun and running around.”
Free rides, candy and pizza
The festival kept families moving and children entertained inside a supervised area. Volunteers lined the pathways to help families and hand out holiday items.
Attractions included:
- Trackless train rides
- Multiple inflatable jump house zones
- Organized trick-or-treat tables stocked with candy
- Free Domino’s pizza
Grassroots from the ground up
The event relies on direct community action. Ball, a local worker, said he covers the expenses entirely out of his own pocket, and he described the effort as ordinary citizens looking out for the city’s young people.
“Every year it gets bigger and bigger, and I’m seeing different people in the community come out, get together, and have fun with the kids,” Ball said.
The Halloween event builds on other outreach held regularly at Tricentennial Park, including annual back-to-school drives and May Day festivals.
A call for more help
Ball said his ultimate goal is to see more residents step up and match those efforts.
“I have a lot of women come out and do contributions and donations, but I would love for more of my guys, the fathers, to join with me,” he said. “I don’t care who you are, what color, or what race… anybody who is willing to join and do it for the community out here.”
