Watch: Positive Nature Rally

On Saturday afternoon, Positive Nature held a rally in front of its building at 1017 New Jersey Avenue SE. The rally was meant to gather support for the non-profit’s efforts to prevent its eviction.

Positive Nature, which runs an afterschool program for at-risk kids, faces a huge property-tax bill. Its taxes have increased significantly due to its proximity to Nationals Park. (I wrote a piece on their predicament.) Despite what they’re facing, Positive Nature’s staff and supporters tried to keep the rally festive. There were free hamburgers and hot dogs, chips, sodas, balloons, old soul songs blasting from speakers, and intermittent games of football. Side note: Some of Positive Nature’s kids can really throw a football; one 13-year-old girl, who came to just support them, has a real rocket for an arm.

The rally drew a big crowd of kids, parents, and a platoon of non-profit bigwigs from the Children’s Law Center to the Peaceoholics. But there was one significant no-show: D.C. Councilmember Tommy Wells. This possible eviction is happening in his ward. And at-risk kids are supposedly his issue.

If he had shown, Wells would have heard some great speeches. The speakers offered a stark contrast to the boosterism from condo developers, and Nats fans worried about parking. But don’t take it from me. Just watch: