PAL Dinner a Smashing Royal Success!
The Angels who work tirelessly behind the scenes to help the youth of Hollywood, and all of Los Angeles, have a special place in their hearts for the Police Activities League, or PAL. Several of those Angels who contribute so much of their time, energy and resources were recognized Thursday night, September 15, 2011, in the Grand Ballroom of the Taglyan Cultural Complex, at the 8th annual Hollywood PAL Benefit. PAL offers a gathering place for the most vulnerable of our young people to get to know police officers on a personal, daily basis and have the officers be their mentors in sports, academics, and life. Learning to respect the police and build discipline and character is how these kids learn to become good citizens who respect themselves and others and avoid the pitfalls of being involved with gangs. Many of the officers who work with the kids were in attendance in uniform, and Hollywood Division Captain Beatrice Girmala thanked everyone for their support of the program. Over 400 children have participated in the program since it began in Hollywood in 1997, and countless officers have given of their precious free time to help these kids become all that they can be.
Honoree Chief Charlie Beck and the Royals
The esteemed Honorees for the evening were LAPD Chief of Police Charlie Beck; David Green, SVP, Nederlander West Coast; Michaela Pereira, News Anchor for KTLA News; and Eric Garcetti, President of the LA City Council. They were presented with Community Leadership Awards for their outstanding service. Master of Ceremonies Chris Breed, joined by Anoushka de Georgiou, introduced Clint Hilbert, President of the Board of Directors, and Jeff Loeb, Member of the Board, who talked about how important the organization is to the children of Hollywood, especially those most at risk. Brian Folb of Paramount Contractors & Developers has a strong relationship with the PAL program for over twelve years and is a Board Member who is very active in organizing these fund raising events to help the cause. He arranged for the first ever event billboard in Hollywood, with space donated by Peter Raulli of Van Wagner Billboard, which no doubt helped lead to the huge turnout for the evening.
Awards for Outstanding Role Model at Hollywood PAL were presented to Shantel Leyva, a 10th grader at Downtown Magnets High School, who has been a PAL member for over four years, and is an accomplished martial artist; and to Bernice Ortiz, a 16 year-old attending Hollywood High, who has also been in PAL for over four years and participates in soccer, the youth leadership council, and is an accomplished marathon runner. A short video showed the girls at the PAL facility, where martial arts training and sports blends with a sense of achievement, academic accomplishment and belonging. The smiles on the girls’ faces told it all. Their futures are much brighter because of their participation in the PAL program, and their enthusiasm is contagious.
Temple Williams of 51 Minds and Cyndi Finkle of Art Works pose with the “Swiss Guards” and the Royal Couple
Prince William and his bride Catherine greeted the guests attending the PAL benefit, or at least a one dimensional, life-size cardboard replica of the Royals in their wedding finery, providing a photo setting that might have been in the gardens of Windsor Castle. Surrounded by white roses gleaming in the evening light and spouting fountains, guests in British attire posed for photos and mingled with old friends and new. Colorful “Swiss Guards” in their red, white and black Beefeater costumes lent an official royal air as you entered the festivities. Open bars were set up in the garden and in the entry hall, with its inlaid marble floors and stained glass skylights casting a blue glow over the crowd. Tables crowded with silent auction prizes donated by the community were abundant and impressive, and gave everyone a chance to bid on the items they liked. Children from the PAL program in their martial arts uniforms made sure everyone who wanted raffle tickets was accommodated and their presence created a happy vibe as people could see how thrilled they were to be part of the evening.
Jack McGee works the crowd to bid on the great auction prizes
The dinner itself was held in the massive Grand Ballroom, lit by sparkling crystal chandeliers and offering a delicious array of appetizers and main dishes. The main fund raising portion of the evening was the live auction with auctioneer Jack McGee of “Rescue Me’ fame. He was full of energy and jokes, and with his irreverent New York attitude got the crowd bidding and cheering wildly. The prizes were amazing, including trips to New York and London, and the high bids came pouring in. A lot of money was raised for the PAL programs, and the winners left feeling satisfied that they were not only winning fun prizes but also helping out a great group of kids.
In keeping with the British theme of the evening, prizes for best theme costumes were presented to Stever Seyley of Andrews International Security Service, who was the perfect Sherlock Holmes, and to Leslie McSparran, mother of Staci Armao, Director of PAL, whose toilet top chapeau and sash reading “Royal Flush”, along with her resemblance to a certain Queen, made her the hit of the evening. Many people also remarked on how wonderful it was that so many of the PAL children were included and featured in the festivities. Cardio Barre owner Denise Cohen remarked “My favorite part of the night was, of course, the fashion. PAL provides such wonderful positive role models for the children in Hollywood. I love being a part of it!”
Other guests were also effusive in their praise of the event. Devyn Reggio of Silo Entertainment said “We had such a great time at the PAL event. The children were an integral part of the evening in getting PAL’s message across. By allowing them to present honorees, sell raffle tickets, etc., the event created an exposure to an environment and world that the kids wouldn’t otherwise had had. This charity is close to our hearts as we work very closely with parolees dedicating their time doing youth diversion for at-risk youth”.
The evening was topped off by the local band “No. Nine”, which played Beatles songs and got the crowd on their feet dancing. It was an evening fit for a King or a Queen, and the children of Hollywood were the beneficiaries of the love and generosity that were felt by all.
