CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Football season is almost here, and on Sunday, two Champaign high school teams met for a rivalry match-up. However, it was about more than just bragging rights.

Centennial and Central met for a 7 vs. 7 game in the first Crosstown Classic. It promoted safety and trust for kids in the area.

“We’re just here to build that safe space for the youth in the community and let them know that we believe in them, we are here for them, and they always have a safe space to go,” Kwanesha Aker, founder of Anointed Youth, said.

The Crosstown Classic kicked off their first event at Hessel Park with a football game, school supply giveaway, and free food.

“We’re trying to create safe spaces and positive activities like we’re doing today,” co-owner of Saving our Streets, Deshunta Aikens, said.

Saving our Streets is a community-led initiative that is focused on breaking cycles of violence, poverty, and hopelessness. Anointed Youth is another organization with the same mission.

“[We want to] make sure that we’re building something, and they’re standing for something. We’re creating those safe spaces because there’s been so much violence going on,” Kwanesha said. “We don’t want to lose any more of our youth.”

Ziyer Aker is a Central High School football player. He said the work the two groups have done is important to him and his peers.

“Out here is just getting bad and stuff, and we got people in the community that still care for the youth,” Ziyer said.

Aikens said when he was growing up, they didn’t have groups like this investing in them.

“We think we know how important it is, for specifically kids at this particular age, to have some type of role model or people they can look up to, opposed to people looking down on them,” Aikens said.

For Kwanesha — Ziyer’s mom — it’s personal, too.

“I’m a mother. I’m a community mom at the end of the day, and it’s important to save our youth because they are our future, ” Kwanesha said.

Their work has rubbed off because Ziyer knows the importance of leading by example.

“I make sure everybody is good and doing the right thing, and the importance of coming to school and just having fun,” Ziyer said. “And if you’re doing something good, maybe they’ll put down the guns down and play football because they see us having fun, so maybe they’ll want to have fun.”

Organizers said they chose a 7 vs. 7 matchup because sports is a great way to connect with the youth. They also gave away gift cards and hosted other activities for people of all ages.