Whereas, The Police Athletic League was started in the mid-1940's by Gus Rangnow, a Sergeant with the 36th Police District at Germantown Avenue and Lycoming Street, which is now part of the 39th District, when he told a group of boys playing hardball in the police parking lot to play inside of an old police locker room instead. Soon the locker room was filled to capacity, and Sgt. Rangnow went to area business owners seeking additional youth recreational space; and
Whereas, Sgt. Rangnow and several other officers, during their off-duty hours organized a neighborhood baseball team and boxing club to give area youth something better to do than loiter on street corners and alleyways. Soon hundreds of children were signing up and the foundation for PAL was established; and
Whereas, In 1947, the Police Superintendent Howard P. Sutton saw the success of Sgt. Rangnow's initiatives and issued an Order to all Philadelphia Police District Captains to select a police officer to attend a meeting with then Mayor Bernard Samuel to create a Philadelphia Police Department sports program City-wide to facilitate and improve relationships between the police and Philadelphia youth; and
Whereas, In 1949, PAL was formally incorporated and chartered with the mission to foster and promote the goal of offering positive activities that could provide opportunities for different results and better lives for rebellious youth who are likely headed towards the prison system; and
Whereas, Today Philadelphia PAL, a 501(c)(3) organization, is comprised of 26 centers throughout Philadelphia serving thousands of Philadelphia children. Each PAL center is assigned a full-time police officer who directs activities and oversees the youth; now therefore
Resolved, that the Council of the City of Philadelphia, Hereby honors and congratulates the Police Athletic League for their tireless effort to provide athletic, education, and special events and activities to all Philadelphia youth, with a special emphasis on youth residing in disadvantaged areas of the City, on the occasion of their 40th Anniversary.
Further resolved, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Lt. William Eddis, Commanding Officer of PAL and its Board of Directors as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
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