The 5th Annual Vail Stones x Street Friends "Christopher Garcia Classic" Stop the Violence Basketball Tournament took place on July 13, 2025, in memory of Christopher Garcia, the founder of Street Friends. It was organized by Vail Stones and Street Friends with What Hoboken Sounds Like, and WHSL's DJ BriPee provided the music.
Game day
- The day opened in prayer with Pastor Evans of Resurrection Temple of Christ.
- The tournament used a one-game elimination format.
- Team Glitch beat Team LPF in the championship game to take home the trophy.
- A long-planned Hoboken Fire Department vs. Hoboken Police Department game, four years in the making, was a crowd favorite.
A toy drive in Chris's honor
Ahead of the tournament, the community collected new, unwrapped toys for local kids at Little Linguists (739 Bloomfield Street and 257 1st Street), with local pickup from The Foodie Goddess. The idea was to remind kids from every part of town that they are "seen, valued, and loved, the same way Chris expressed his love for our entire Hoboken community."
Thank you to the sponsors
Splash N Dash JC, D&J Accounting-Tax Service, The Sense of Nature, Councilman Ruben Ramos, Councilman Michael Russo, The LP Foundation, Applied Housing Management, Royalty Event Services, Chiki's Curls and Matt Velez. Media sponsors Tato With The Camera, Why Are Films and Zay Films captured the day.
Organizers also thanked Councilwoman Emily Jabbour for an inspiring speech and for lending a hand throughout the day. Read about Year 6 in 2026.
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