Hundreds of kids between the ages of 5 and 12 from the Police Athletic League’s (PAL) Afterschool Programs, including those from PAL’s Pathways Prep in St. Albans, came together for the annual holiday party on Saturday, Dec. 6, at PAL’s Harlem Center, located at 441 Manhattan Ave. in Manhattan.
The party featured all sorts of entertainment for the children in attendance, including arts and crafts, carnival games, prizes, free books, music, dancing, gifts, face-painting, bicycle and toy raffles and a DJ dance party.
Santa Claus and members of the NYPD and FDNY made surprise appearances at the holiday party. There were also special performances at the event by PAL’s Pathways Drum Corp. and Majorettes.
Brooklyn Book Bodega, a nonprofit organization that works to provide access to and ownership of books, build community and create a passion for learning through free events and literacy-based community programming, donated 400 books for the holiday party, which were distributed to the kids there.
John and Margo Catsimatidis hosted this year’s holiday party. This event is one of many celebrations around the city held by the PAL to bring happiness and toys to the thousands of youths at PAL centers and police precincts in their communities.
The PAL was originally founded in 1914. The nonprofit provides educational, recreational, cultural and social activities to approximately 18,000 kids across New York City each year.
