Wayne Scott wanted to fill a void left when York City's annual Youth Unity March came to an end last year.

So he and other members of the community decided to hold a similar event to ensure the call for unity and peace didn't die with the march.

Keeping the spirit alive, York City Unity Day will be held Saturday and will culminate with a festival at Penn Park in York.

Before that, marchers will step off from four different locations around the city as they make their way to the park, said Sharee McFadden, event spokeswoman.

The event, sponsored by Helping Offer Options and Direction and the Ancestor's

Dream Organization, begins at 3 p.m.

A compass: The starting points -- Jefferson Center on Jefferson Avenue, Crispus Attucks on South Duke Street, Salem Square on Salem Avenue and Arles Park on East King Street -- represent not only the four points on a compass but also that while everyone comes from different backgrounds and different parts of the city, they should all live in unity, McFadden said.

"It doesn't matter where you are from, where you work or what side of town you live on because we live, work and play in one city: York City," said Scott, an event organizer and H.O.O.D founder and CEO.

At Penn Park, there will be live entertainment, basketball tournaments, children's activities, multi-cultural food and games.

Getting along: While the mood will be festive, the focus of the day will be on encouraging everyone to get along with one another.

A number of community leaders, including York City School District Superintendent Deborah Wortham, African-American psychologist Umar Johnson and York City Human Relations Commission Executive Director Stephanie Seaton, are expected to address the topic during speeches.

In light of the recent slaying of Rudolph Mendoza IV, 23, of West Manchester Township in the 100 block of South Queen Street and other shootings and violence in the city, McFadden said, the time is ripe for an event that encourages people to live in unity.

"We have to get people to understand we don't live in a big city ... we should be able to get along," she said.

McFadden said the groups are planning to hold future events.

-- Reach Greg Gross at 505-5434 or ggross@yorkdispatch.com.