2012 PAL

Community Volunteer Awards
2012 Honoree
Rancho Cordova Police Activities League (PAL)
Rancho Cordova Police Activities League (PAL)

Distinguished Service to Youth

Rancho Cordova Police Activities League (PAL)

No organization has had more impact on more children in our community in the past few years than the Police Activities League - PAL. Inspired by individuals in the community, powered by adult volunteers and fostered by the Rancho Cordova Police Department, PAL has touched the lives of thousands of kids at a time when schools and park district programs have been diminished or closed.

Here are a few startling numbers to consider:

In 2011, PAL provided special events, nights out, field trips, sporting games and contests and other activities on more than 250 days of the year. And during those activities, they touched more than 4,000 kids in our community.

While the numbers of kids involved are impressive, they do not begin to tell the stories of how lives have been changed. Many PAL kids are at a crossroads of their lives. Turn one way and it is all downhill. Take the opposite path and a life of opportunity awaits. PAL is there to care, encourage and point kids in the right direction.

PAL is also a great partner to the Cordova Community Council. PAL plays significant roles at Kid's Day in the Park, where together we have provided valuable bike safety information and given away hundreds of free bikes.  

They are one of the largest, liveliest entries in the Rancho Cordova Fourth of July parade. They touch the Air Show. And though needy themselves, many PAL youth work to collect toys and Christmas food for others in need.

The PAL Holiday Run attracts hundreds of runners from around the region and has the potential to become a signature event for our community. It impresses upon kids the importance of physical fitness, the power of endurance and good sportsmanship.

PAL has our kids exercising their bodies on sports fields all over Rancho Cordova: PAL Rugby, Jr. Giants Baseball, PAL Soccer, PAL Bike Club, PAL March Madness Basketball Tournaments and more. PAL engages with kids at Girls Circles, at Boy's Council, before school, during school, after school and on weekends. No other organization has made that kind of impact on our kids, opening wide the doors of opportunity that exist when you are headed in the right direction.

PAL volunteers are outstanding community members who show up to coach, mentor, and guide kids they don't know, but still care about.

With proper support, PAL has become one of the most significant tools in our toolbox for guiding and helping our kids avoid the pitfalls of gangs and crime.

There is more glory in some efforts, but in helping our children find their way through life, there is none more important.

PAL supporters say "Every kid deserves a PAL." We could not agree more.

Congratulations to Rancho Cordova PAL and the starring role you are playing in building a better Rancho Cordova for our kids -- and ultimately, the rest of us, as well.

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