TOPPS, Inc., Targeting Our People’s Priorities with Service, will host their Annual Marcus C. Harris II: Moving Forward Young Men Conference from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the TOPPS Big Rec. Center at 1000 Townsend Drive in Pine Bluff. The conference will be conducted by Program Coordinator Allen Hill.
Keynote Speaker will be Officer Tommy Norman on behalf of the Mission Give Foundation. The conference theme is “Challenging and Encouraging Young Men to be Leaders in the Community”
TOPPS will celebrate 10 years of mentoring to the young men in Pine Bluff, Jefferson County and surrounding areas. The Program was developed by seven male college students: Michael Dove, Janson Graves, Marcus C. Harris II, Brandon Shelby, Xavier Stribling, Garland Trice III, and Courtney Wilson.
According to a news release, “These founders wanted to give young men, mentors who truly cared.”
The program is named after a fallen founder Marcus C. Harris II, whose life was taken in a 2007 car accident on his way to an internship. Harris was a well known individual and respected by many of his peers in the community. He was a scholar and to keep his legacy alive, the group named the mentoring program in his honor. As of today, over 400 young men have been touched by this program. Over 100 have graduated high school and entered college.
The conference is open with free admission to young men ages 8- 18. Dinner will be served, all participants will receive a conference bag, t-shirt, and door prizes will be awarded. Groups are encourage to pre-register.
For more information contact TOPPS’s office: 870-850-6011.