Rizzo PAL Alumna Shares PAL Experiences

Guest Blogger: Jessica Madden

 

PAL Alumna, Jessica Madden

When I was in seventh grade, a friend of mine who was involved with Positive Images, a girls group at PAL, asked me if I wanted to come with her. I willingly accepted her invitation, although I had no idea what the program was about. For the next three years, I was involved with Positive Images and PAL Challenge.
PAL gave me so many opportunities that I wanted to give back. I was not big into sports, so I could not help out with those programs at PAL. When I approached Officer Ernie, I had two main concerns: How could I help? And how could I create more girls programs? At the time, I had been dancing for fourteen years, and that was virtually all I knew. Officer Ernie gave me the opportunity to start the Rizzo PAL Dance Program. I held registration that fall, met with parents, and got a feel for how I wanted to run my program. It was a huge responsibility, and I am still thankful to Officer Ernie for taking a chance on me. At the end of the season, the girls put on their first recital for their parents-

Rizzo Dance warmups

a really exciting experience. I ran the Rizzo Dance program for the next four years until I graduated high school.
Officer Ernie’s role in my life was huge. He gave me opportunities that I would have never gotten otherwise – a chance to shadow Philadelphia’s Managing Director at PAL Day at City Hall, and the chance to be awarded the PAL Scholarship and the Union League Scholarship for college. I am so thankful to have someone in my life that has helped me as much as he has. He taught me how to be a caring person, especially

Practice makes perfect!

when he trusted me with running the dance program. I cannot imagine my life without Officer Ernie and the experiences he provided for me. I will forever be thankful to PAL and all that it has done for me.
I am now a sophomore at Immaculata University, and I am still dancing. I know that

Fun at Rizzo Dance!

PAL is not the end of my journey with helping kids – I am an education major and hope to help at least one kid the way PAL and Officer Ernie helped me.

Note: The Dance Program is still being offered at Rizzo PAL, and is currently led by Little Flower High School students, Kristin Kahlert and Veronica Fresta.

PAL Night at TU Basketball

Dunkin’ Donuts and Temple Basketball a Slam Dunk for PAL!

PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 17, 2011 – The Dunkin’ Donuts Rockin’ Reading Program came to a close yesterday at Temple’s Liacouras Center. Rockin’ Reading is a program through which Dunkin’ Donuts encouraged PAL kids to further their reading and comprehension skills. PAL Children read one book per month and were required to fill out evaluation sheets on what they read. The kids received incentives for reading the books and completing the program. Participants ranged in ages from 6-14 from 10 different PAL centers across the city.

Before enjoying the highly regarded Temple versus Richmond basketball game, participants of the program were treated to a closing ceremony, complete with dinner, treats and several special prizes. Youngsters received certificates of achievement, Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards and more.

Aside from being recognized on the court in front of thousands of fans, the highlight of the evening was a surprise visit from members of Temple’s Football, Cheerleading and Diamond Gem Dance teams. What made the night extra special for the children was that Temple’s new Football Coach, Steve Addazio, stopped in to spend time with them.

Addazio gave the group a quick, exciting pep talk, congratulating them on their accomplishments and encouraging them to continue to work hard in all they do. Addazio also noted that he has a motto that he lives by each and every day, “good things happen to good people who work hard.” After sharing his motto with the children, Addazio invited the youth to put it in to practice, reminding them that working hard in school will help them accomplish many things throughout the course of their lives.

It was a great evening to be a PAL kid. Children got to witness a big win for Temple University, spent time mingling with college athletes and smiled all night long. Many thanks to Dunkin’ Donuts, Dr. Athole Jacobi and Temple Athletics for their support and dedication in making this night such a memorable one for the children.

Circus Visits Paley PAL

Circus Fit: Clowning Around to Stay Active

A smiling PAL youngster wearing his clown nose

PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 11, 2011 -Being the “class clown” will usually get you into trouble. If your teachers are clowns, however, goofing off is encouraged! On February 10, 2011, children at the Paley PAL Center in the Germantown section of Philadelphia were treated to a fitness-based, clown-taught course called Circus Fit.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® clowns, Mike and Watson, from The Greatest Show on Earth® visited Paley PAL and spent time interacting with dozens of children. Youngsters enjoyed learning about many of the clowns’ tricks-of-the-trade, including juggling, a unicycle demonstration, balancing acts and lots of

Mike & Watson

 laughter. Mike and Watson, who provided each child with their own clown nose, taught children the importance of remaining active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through clowning around. The Circus Fit demonstration also explored fun fitness basics, including warm-ups, stretching, aerobics and strength building. Youngsters in attendance also received tickets to attend the circus in person at the Wells Fargo Center!

Thanks to Adopt-a-Center Sponsor Comcast Spectacor, who provided the program, Paley PAL youth experienced a wonderful and meaningful afternoon that they will treasure forever.

Guest Blogger: Police Officer Bill Schneider

Going Deep with Tacony PAL
PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 9, 2011 – Tacony PAL, one of the Police Athletic League’s largest and most vibrant centers, recently closed its 2011 Indoor Flag Football Program. Tacony, which boasts registration rates of over 2,500 youth, is located in Northeast Philadelphia and is home to a very diverse group of PAL youngsters.

Close to 200 children participated in the Flag Football League, and each child got to play on a regular basis. Tacony hosted two leagues; an 11-and-under and a 12-and-over. The 8-game season led into exciting playoff match-ups, and the children had a blast. The Eagles defeated the Packers in the 11-and-under league and Bad Company defeated the Lions in the 12-and-over league. First and second place in each league received trophies and individual awards for sportsmanship and team leadership. In addition, each child who participated in the program received a gold medal.

As with all things PAL, the most important part about Tacony Indoor Football was that everyone involved was granted an opportunity to participate and have fun. Children were kept safe, off the streets and involved in positive programming that allowed for friendly competition among friends. Congratulations to all participants!

PAL Alumna Profile

West Oak Lane PAL’s Shining Star: Paulette Brown

Paulette Brown speaking at PAL's Sponsor & Media Luncheon.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 1, 2011 – Paulette Brown has a remarkable, long list of accomplishments for a 28 year old woman. She is a West Oak Lane PAL Alumna, and credits many of her successes to her time at PAL. Through the guidance of her PAL Center Director, Police Officer Steve Brennan, Brown overcame the challenges of growing up in the inner city, and has blossomed into a wonderful human being who is career-driven and motivated in every aspect of her life. She is truly a shining example of the Police Athletic League and the positive impact it has on the children it serves.

Growing up in the West Oak Lane area of the City, Brown was surrounded by many negatives in her childhood. One day while playing her neighborhood, she accidentally wandered into the PAL Center. Thrilled by what she saw, she enrolled in PAL at the age of 12 with her two younger sisters. “There were so many kids playing different types of games, running around, yelling, laughing and just having fun. But the strangest part to me was that there weren’t any adults running and yelling after the kids, telling them to sit down and be quiet. So of course I knew that I was in a good place and I wanted to be involved with whatever they were offering,” Brown said.

Aside from being able to play in a safe environment and meeting new friends, PAL afforded Brown with a handful of unique opportunities that she would never have been able to experience otherwise. “My membership has allowed me the opportunity to travel to various places around the world, like the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado where I participated in a leadership development program. I participated in double-dutch tournaments, basketball leagues and served as City Council President for a day,” said Brown.

Through PAL, Brown was awarded a college scholarship and attended Millersville University, from which she graduated in 2005. She even credits her successes after college to PAL. “Even after graduating college, my PAL experiences are still influencing my life. Where I was shy as I child, I am now very outgoing. The many competitions have taught me how to work well on a team, which is very useful in my work today,” noted Brown.

While looking back on her experiences at PAL, Brown has nothing but fond memories of her friends, experiences and her PAL officer and friend, Police Officer Brennan. “He has always encouraged me to work hard in everything I do. He made sure that I was involved in different activities; he even made sure that I got home safely after the center would close. Since I was 12, he has gone above and beyond the duties of his job. He has been there for every birthday, every holiday, every prom, every speech and every graduation – even calling just to check on me,” said Brown.

Today, Brown works in Human Resources and is constantly meeting and interacting with new people. She is back in school at Rosemont College, working on obtaining a Master’s Degree in Psychology. Without PAL, Brown notes that she doesn’t know where she’d be today. “There is no doubt in my mind that I am a better person today because of all the life lessons that I learned at PAL. It’s hard to even imagine my life without PAL. Of all the things that I want to know in this world, of all the things I pretend to know, I’m glad I don’t know where I would be without PAL since it has been such an influential part of my life. I know that I am a better person because of PAL. I know other former PAL kids who would say the same thing.”