at the pinellas shares Police Athletic League we Kindle the spirits of at-risk youth in our community by fostering their confidence owning their physical and academic skills and developing them into happy healthy productive citizens but first things first and at pal the first earn steady supply pal thrives on students milestones and strives to give them every possible tool to achieve them sometimes all it takes is opportunity meet Thomas Owen this winner the seventh grader took pal up on one such opportunity while rock climbing for the first time he took it upon himself to be the first impaler reached the top of the most difficult level I want to turn the hot one because I want to be the first one to complete it and be up to the top and get my picture taken let me feel good because I was the first one our compass that same that pal but to Thomas reaching the peak was about more than just achieving a first asking 33 times more you feel like there's nothing to worry about if you fall that it would just boost their confidence it hope you achieve more things like if you wanted to do something then it would help you like keep trying and trying until you get to it till you accomplish your goal other times it takes a little nudge in the right direction thirteen-year-old Corinthians Speights attended pals camping trip this year she loved playing games with her friends roasting dinner on the bonfire and spending the night in a cabin her first time ziplining not so much scary because I'm scared of heights in almost nervous however she overcame her fear with the support of her fellow pal members everybody encouraged me to keep going and going at pal every first experience is about more than accomplishing a single piece meet Chelsea Keller Bauer and Monique Medina the high school juniors and good friends not only earned their first jobs as junior counselors and how but they recently went on their first college tour with the organization an opportunity they say they never could have experienced without pal it was a good experience most people aren't able to view the different colleges or to see what they offer and it was an opportunity that I was able to do grateful for the experience Chelsea and Monique learned that it will take more than a few campus visits to get to their you could picture yourself there in a couple years and it was like a reality check that I need to start focusing on where I want to be although pal Foster's first here in Pinellas County were not the first of a kind lenise Washington frequented pal 52 years ago as a young student living in a tough Philadelphia neighborhood she got involved with the organization to stay on the right track and today she sends her eight-year-old grandson Tyree to pinellas pal for the same reasons i was riding one day and saw a sign p al and i thought oh my god they still exist so I went in and from there to here he has now been in little over a year and I know a lot of wealthy people but the riches my grandson experienced this summer are untouchable we have been to a couple of mediums we like to play back wall soccer football frisbee um or tag games I know they're safe I know he's very happy when I come to pick him up and he does not want to leave I think that's what parents won't open her parents live for so I'm extremely happy I'm ecstatic that the program still exists and I'm looking for positive outcomes and my grandson as they produce positive outcomes in me Pal is a 501 c 3 charitable organization that relies on donations and key community partnerships we provide ongoing secure and motivating environments for more than 150 students who attend all week long thanks to the generous donations from our sponsors Pal has had a few advancements of its own this year we opened a new little pal location at the landings complex that is fully equipped with the computer lab playground and tennis court little pal locations are now stocked with Kindles to help students with homework and reading we've renovated one of our buildings into a multi-purpose room for new classes like yoga and dance pal has also opened a hydroponic farm where students can nurture plants like pal nurtures them I know when my sudden first started coming to pal and he was nervous and he he wasn't really sure whether or not he wanted to come because it was new he didn't know anyone but now that he's been here for a while he loves it as a single mother Melissa Ramirez calls palla blessing offering her 13 year old son Jayden a fun safe place to interact with children his age that is more than a simple after-school care program I think that being here and being with the staff has helped him grow as a person when you donate to pal your money isn't just purchasing wood for a new boardwalk you're giving your girl a place to sit and read her first book it not only buys paint to outline a new tennis court but gives two boys something in common from which they'll build their first friendship and your donations help how to make sure that all of these firsts are never the last you