Brooklyn kids ‘PAL’ around with celebs at holiday party

December 26, 2013 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Screen Shot 2013-12-27 at 11.20.20 AM.png

Share this:

Kids from Brownsville and other Brooklyn neighborhoods got to “PAL” around with celebrities like supermodel Carol Alt and “Boardwalk Empire” star Anthony Laciura at a recent holiday party hosted by the Police Athletic League.

The Police Athletic League (PAL) and CitySightseeing New York co-sponsored the party, which took place at the PAL’s Harlem Center. PAL is the city’s largest independent, nonprofit youth organization. CitySightseeing New York operates sightseeing bus tours around the city, well as cruises around New York Harbor.

Hundreds of boys and girls, including dozens from Brooklyn, attended the festive holiday party and enjoyed arts and crafts, board games, face painting, inflatable rides and holiday treats.

To the delight of the children, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus attended the party. They arrived at the PAL’s Harlem headquarters on a CitySightseeing New York bus filled with over 3,500 toys.

Also on board the bus were Alt, Laciura, talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael, and other celebrities, including Miss USA 2013 Erin Brady, Miss Teen USA 2013 Cassidy Wolf, “90210” star Mack Wilds, “The Michael J. Fox Show” star Juliette Goglia, “30 Rock” star Grizz Chapman, actor Stephen Lang, and Canadian television star Brendan Meyer.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who is the honorary president of PAL, former Manhattan district attorney Robert Morgenthau, PAL’s chairman, PAL President John Osborn and Public Advocate-elect Letitia James also greeted the children.

The co-chairs of the party were former Republican mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis and his wife Margo.

New York City’s Police Athletic League is the first and civilian-run PAL in the country. Founded in 1914, PAL has served the city’s young people for 99 years. PAL provides recreational, educational, cultural and social activities to over 40,000 boys and girls annually. It is also the city’s largest, independent, nonprofit youth organization. For more information, visit www.palnyc.org.