Community Basketball Game Serves as Common Ground for Youth and Law Enforcement

The CP Dream Team, a friendly basketball game featuring local youth and police agencies, will host its quarterly event on Friday, May 11 at 7 p.m. at the College Park Community Center. Officers from the University of Maryland Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department and The M-NCPPC Park Police will participate in the game.

A University of Maryland initiative, CP Dream Team is a collaborative partnership between several entities.The program brings youth, residents and police officers together in an inclusive environment, using basketball to foster trust and understanding between the officers and residents they serve.

Cameron Thurston, communications and logistics coordinator at UMD’s Office of Community Engagement, previously participated in CP Dream Team as a player. This year, he returns to the program as a host and coordinator. Thurston grew up in the Lakeland neighborhood of College Park, and is excited to be able to serve the community in which he was raised.

“It’s fun to be a part of this event in different ways, from playing in the game to working on it behind the scenes,” explains Thurston. “I’ve always viewed basketball as a common ground for different people, even strangers, to come together and I think CP Dream Team creates that.”

The CP Dream Team is in its sixth year and has traditionally recognized National Police Week during its spring game. A moment of silence will be taken at the beginning of the game in honor of officers who have lost their life in the line of duty.

The City of College Park, The Embry Center for Family Life, Prince George’s County Police Athletic League and Lakeland Community Heritage Project serve as partners for the game. Donations for the event have been provided by local vendors Krazi Burrito, Whole Foods and Stripe 3.

The CP Dream Team has been featured on the Big Ten Network and as a facet of Maryland Women’s Basketball. For more information on the CP Dream Team, visit https://oce.umd.edu/college-park-dream-team.