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Dear Friends,

The school year is coming to a close, and while the kids may be celebrating the end of homework, they’ll surely miss coming to PAL at the end of every school day. As one final celebration, our centers will hold showcases of all their favorite activities and give the kids one last chance to enjoy the afterschool PAL programs they love. They will also participate in our year-end special events like the Police Commissioner for a Day awards ceremony and activities, and the Junior Police Jamboree.

But, of course, the end of the school year doesn’t mean the end of PAL fun - as afterschool is winding down, our summer programs are ramping up!

PAL is a best friend to nearly 9000 children during the summer months. Thousands of kids drop into Playstreets, play in intramural sports leagues, and attend our summer camps. And this year, with the help of our generous partners and donors, we offer free day camp at all of our Summer Camp Centers.

While our kids are busy playing games and going on field trips, they will also be soaking in the cultures of “Indigenous Peoples of the World” – this year’s summer day camp theme.  The rich academic and cultural themes that are a part of PAL’s summer fun help maintain the campers’ reading and math skills during the summer, making them well equipped for their return to school in September.

We could not be more excited to start our summer programs. From carnivals and sports days, to summer youth employment and cultural celebrations, it is your support that keeps PAL going all year round.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Frederick J. Watts Executive Director, PAL

My Neighborhood, soundview, has only a little bit of pollution. There is wrappers and plastic on the sides of the streets. I see people throwing garbage on the floors. People play lots of music that’s loud and it creates noise pollution. My neighborhood is special to me because I grew up there.  – Tamia

A special place that I go to is my old block. There are a lot of people on the block, there is garbage on the floor, It’s special because I grew up there and I know everybody on the block there all like family to me. There noise pollution because it’s really loud with music they blast.  – Shanel

School is my favorite place. Middle School is where I’m currently getting my education. It’s were some of my friends are. There’s teacher that actually care. The kids cause noise pollution – Francisco

My special place is soundview park. It’s beautiful and peaceful and quiet just how I like it. I go there and have a peaceful time, but in the water there’s garbage and oil –Desera

Dear Friends,

May has always been an exciting month throughout PAL’s history.

In 1950, Mayor William O’Dwyer issued the first proclamation designating May as “PAL Month” and urged the public to support the work done by the Police Athletic League.  

This year, PAL is looking forward to another eventful May:  

At the Annual Science Fair at the William J. Duncan Center we will celebrate the students’ new knowledge and research skills as we admire their amazing STEM projects. Students will pose complex questions, form well-reasoned hypotheses, carefully lay out the procedures for their experiments, and present their results. Last year, more than 100 students explored the engineering behind things like airplanes and roller coasters. This year we expect close to 200 participants.

The Poetry Jam at Affirmation Arts Gallery, in partnership with Poet’s House, will give our contest winning poets the chance to work with professionals writers and present their poems on stage. Out of hundreds of submissions from 1st-8th grade students, 27 contest winners will perform their work at the event.

At The Robert J. McGuire Scholarship Dinner we will wish our In-Step and Youth Link high school seniors luck on the journey ahead, and award essential scholarships to finance the cost of attending college. Sixteen college-bound students were selected to win the award. Special thanks to Fred Wilpon, one of PAL’s greatest friends.

In addition to all of our special events, our afterschool participants will continue to learn about the civil rights movement, the final module of their year-long educational program. We’ll make sure that the kids stay on track with homework help, provide activities that complement and enhance school curriculum, and offer plenty of opportunities for outdoor fun. Our teens will remain busy preparing for college and for summer jobs.

Meanwhile, as spring turns to summer, our staff prepares for Summer Day Camps, the opening of Playstreets, the Summer Youth Employment Program, and our summer sports and recreation programs. May might be the official “PAL Month” but the children and families that we serve can count on us every month to be “the best friend a kid can have.”

 Sincerely,

 Frederick J. Watts Executive Director, PAL