Turlock Police officers put down their batons and picked up soccer balls, basketballs and footballs this week as part of a fundraising event for the Police Activities League (P.A.L.).
From Tuesday through Thursday, TPD officers participated in everything from coaching to playing alongside registered participants at the Turlock Sports Park, with all registration funds going towards P.A.L., a non-profit organization with the primary goal of promoting a constructive relationship between law enforcement and the youth of Turlock. Police departments from across the state have organized their own P.A.L. programs, with activities in Turlock having been largely led by former Chief of Police Nino Amrifar.
Every year, the organization contributes over $25,000 to Turlock’s Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities department to keep summer and after-school programs active. In addition to providing a safe place for kids to go and learn, they also foster a connection with the youth and law enforcement.
TPD Lieutenant David Hall serves as the chair of Turlock’ P.A.L. and spoke about the importance of growing the program alongside new TPD Chief Jason Hedden.
“Nino was always a big part of P.A.L and getting the department involved in it. He did a lot of things throughout his time to make it grow, so with Chief Hedden, we’re trying to carry on with that and be involved in it as much as we can,” Hall said.
Fred Rasuli, the CEO of the Turlock Sports Park, also sits on the board for Turlock P.A.L. and explained that the week’s events were significant in bringing activities back to the level they were pre-COVID.
“P.A.L. is just close to me because of the mission that it has,” Rasuli said. “It's police activities with young demographics through sport activities and physical activities. We love doing events that help our community, and that’s where it hits home for me. It’s unfortunate that things slowed a bit with COVID, but this event shows me that the community, the city and the police department are excited and motivated to get back together… This type of engagement is a win-win for everybody.”
Nearly 50 kids signed up for the fundraiser, selling out in just a matter of days and raising approximately $4,500 for the program.
“This is huge for P.A.L. because it lets everyone know that we’re back up and running, it gets our name out there and lets people know we’ll be involved in the community aside from all the other things,” Hall said. “We want to make it bigger and bigger each year. This money is going to help us hand out scholarships, bring after-school programs to less fortunate kids… that’s what this is all about.”
With newly acquired funds, community members are encouraged to keep an eye out for upcoming P.A.L. events across Turlock by following Turlock PAL on Facebook.
