An evening of dinner, dancing and, oddly enough, remote control boating, is in store for an upcoming Police Activities League fundraiser.

The second annual PAL Dinner Dance is slated for Nov. 2 at the Washington Civic Center and according to PAL Director Larry Lang, it’s going to be fun.

“This is an event for us to kind of let our hair down and have a good time and raise a little money for PAL,” Lang said. “We’ll also be showing off what we’ve done for the kids over the past year, in video format.”

Via a silent auction, a live auction for big ticket items and the price of tickets for dinner, games and dancing the night away, funds raised will go to support PAL programming throughout the year: sailing lessons, camps, field trips to airports and other adventures designed to introduce underserved children to the greater possibilities out there. PAL is a collaboration of the law enforcement community of Aurora, Belhaven, Chocowinity and Washington and community volunteers who bring recreational activities, workshop sessions, field trips and day camps to area youth.

“We’re always doing something that involves helping the kids — kids that haven’t had the opportunity to be exposed to science, math (in action),” Lang said.

The organization’s long-term goal is find PAL a permanent home.

“We’re looking to have something available to these kids on a monthly basis, to have a permanent home for PAL and a place for these kids,” Lang explained.

That’s the reason behind the dinner/dance: a $30 ticket includes a dinner catered by Keyzer, beverages and tunes spun by DJ Butch Oliver of Down East Entertainment. It also includes evening-long competitions as patrons square off for remote control boat racing.

“It’s basically in a kiddie pool and the boats are neat, sophisticated little boats that run on a radio frequency,” Lang explained. “We’ll run two at the time. They’ll start at a starting line and have to go through a course of bobbers then have to dock.”

It might be fun and games, but Lang said the competition will be a hands-on show of what PAL programs offer to local children.

“My idea was to have some of those activities available for the adults so they can see how it benefits the kids,” Lang said.

The PAL Dinner Dance will be held Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Washington Civic Center. Tickets are available at First Bank locations in Washington and Belhaven, at the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce and at the door on the night of the event.