Few show up for mother's march on youth violence

On Sunday afternoon in Seattle, the sky blue and temperatures in the mid-70s, there wasn't much interest in Denise Gloster's event.

She and some volunteers had set up more than 300 folding chairs by the soccer field at Sam Smith Park in the Central District, for an expected audience to listen to speakers hold forth about violence and kids. Most of the seats were empty.

For the event, Gloster, at a cost of $1,650, had printed up 200 T-shirts that said "March for Youth 2009." They lay stacked on a table.

She had hoped the shirts would generate donations for her cause, but she figured she had gotten maybe $80 for the scarce demand.

The 100 or so people who showed up for free hot dogs, chips, apples, cake and water bottles were dots overwhelmed by the acres of grassy turf around them.

With the event costing around $9,000 to $10,000 to put on — for a soundstage rental, table and chair rental, food, various permits — that came out to $90 or so per attendee.

The march and rally were advertised as a "response to the violence that puts youth at risk, particularly in Southeast and Central Seattle."

Gloster had gotten government and nonprofit grants for a good portion of the cost. She said she rang up another $2,000 on her credit cards.

She publicized the event on Facebook, sent news releases to the media and passed out 4,000 to 5,000 promotional cards to businesses and institutions in the area.

"Disappointed? No," she said. "All these people who were here care about the kids losing their lives. They're in solidarity with us."

"On a Sunday it's hard to get people to come. They've been in church for several hours. There was also talk about the battle between the CD [Central District] kids and the South End kids that's been going on for a long time. If you're from the South End, you don't want to hang out in the CD. You might get shot."

There was no hint of violence at the rally, with a couple of barbecues set up to broil sausages, and those who showed up milling around the soccer field.

The event began with two marches, one starting a short distance north of the park, and another a short distance south of the park. Maybe three dozen people showed up at one march, maybe 10 at the other.

The event was personal to Gloster, 51.

In June of 2000, the body of her son, John Anthony Gloster, 27, was pulled from the Sammamish River. A fisherman had found his body, which had been in the water for a week.

She said her son was "being chased by police ... I'm not sure ... He didn't want to go back to jail."

She said her son had been involved in drug dealing, car theft and was in a gang. A check of criminal records shows sentences for charges that included firearms, controlled substance, theft and assault.

"I had him when I was 15-½," Gloster said. "I lived in a house where there wasn't any love. And people need to be loved, don't they? I thought I fell in love."

Gloster said she has a master's degree in public administration and that she's been out of work while helping her husband, Dan Fink, a carpenter, battle cancer.

Now she'll be looking for work to pay those new credit-card bills.

This was the second year for the march. More people showed up last year, Gloster said.

She said she's planning another one in 2010.

Next year, she said, she hopes to get a few more people to help.

Gloster said she knows news stories about teens who are in gangs, and get shot, don't generate sympathetic postings in the comments section of newspapers.

"You log on, you see their postings — 'Good riddance,' ... " she said. "But it's about another 15-year-old who never had a chance."

Erik Lacitis: 206-464-2237 or elacitis@seattletimes.com