The Beaufort County Police Activities League is seeking community support to help it establish a strong foundation.
To that end, PAL will hold its first fundraiser, a dinner dance, Nov. 9 at the Washington Civic Center from 7:30 p.m. until 11 p.m. The event theme honors law enforcement and first responders. The event will feature a buffet-style dinner catered by Keyzer’s. DJ services will be provided by Generations.
Tickets are $35 for singles and $60 per couple. Door prizes will be awarded and raffles will be offered. Tables seating eight or more may be reserved with the option to display a company logo on the table. Ticket outlets include the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce, First Bank-John Small Avenue and Belhaven Branches, Office Depot, West Marine and Washington Housing Authority. All event proceeds will fund PAL afterschool and community projects in Beaufort County.
“At-risk” youth can be defined as any youth, regardless of sex or race, who has the potential to get into trouble if not exposed to positive alternatives. PAL will provide proactive positive alternatives and exposure through after-school programs, classroom workshops, field trips, guest speakers, a variety of local businesses’ “open houses” and shadowing opportunities. PAL will help the police chiefs from Aurora, Belhaven, Chocowinity and Washington promote community-based policing, wherein the community takes an active role in working with law enforcement to reduce juvenile crime, violence and drop-outs thus making Beaufort County attractive to industry and relocating families.
The strength of any PAL program is determined by the participating volunteer directors and officers. The Beaufort County PAL has 15 diverse and highly experienced board members, including the local school superintendent, four police chiefs, the director of the Washington Housing Authority and the Washington Parks and Recreation Department, a banker, lawyer, media representative, probation officer, workforce director and several educators. The six PAL officers are just as diverse. Three have doctoral degrees. The others are a retired military officer, law-enforcement official and bilingual educator. Business sponsors to date include Rod Cantrell, Edward Jones Investments, PotashCorp-Aurora and Office Depot.
PAL President Alvin Powell, a retired FBI agent and former chief of a counterterrorism unit, resides in Washington.