BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — “You already feel alone in this battle. [You've] been violated in such a huge way so any support that a person can give just means so much," said Wesley Davis Jr.
Wesley's 16-year-old son, Wendale Davis, was shot and killed in 2006. Wesley created the Wendale Davis Foundation in his honor.
"We do a lot of gang intervention. We do mentorship and anything to support families that have lost loved ones," said Wesley.
The foundation’s 14th annual Walk For Peace is Saturday in downtown Bakersfield. Wesley said the event’s main purpose is supporting families who have lost loved ones to gun violence.
Bakersfield police will lead the mile walk around the neighborhood and it leads back to a Health and Wellness Fair with free lunch and music. Wesley said the best way to support their cause is to just show up.
“For those of us like a parent like myself, and I know tons of other parents and families that have lost loved ones, this is a life sentence for us," he said. "It never goes away, so any time someone can come out and stand with them, just kind of love on them a little bit and say, ‘Hey, we’re for you,’ that means so much.”
The people who killed Wendale Davis have yet to be found. Wesley said working with the community, especially others going through the same thing, is rewarding and helps his family move forward.
“This helps us in so many ways to, you know, give back. It’s a sort of healing for us so we enjoy what we do," he said.
Walkers are asked to arrive early. The Walk For Peace starts at exactly 10 a.m. It will begin and end at 730 Chester Avenue.
