The Redwood City Pal Center kicked off its 30th anniversary on Wednesday night at a packed Courthouse Square, where Mexico beat Czechia 3-0 during Soccer on the Square. The World Cup game drew hundreds of fans, and Pal Center hosted a kids’ play area during the game.
Pal Center, formally the Police Activities League, is a youth-focused organization based in Redwood City that works with law enforcement and other community partners to address public safety in a more holistic way. Its programs include kids’ summer camps, sports and recreation opportunities, adult fitness classes and afterschool care.
“We play such a critical bridge with a lot of our first responders, and it’s an opportunity for everyone to connect, not just when situations are heightened or challenges are laying in front of us, but to come together to work on preventative solutions to whatever is truly meaningful for our community,” said Ivan Martinez, Pal Center executive director.
According to its website, the Pal Center serves over 500 local children and 200 adults each year through its various offerings. Martinez said he, in part, credits the efforts of their Purposeful Action Creation & Engagement program with helping reduce all youth-related disturbance calls in downtown Redwood City by at least 30%.
The program connects young people and families with jobs, school support, mentorship, internship opportunities, mental health services and life coaching. According to Pal Center’s website, PACE is intended to keep at-risk and transition youth “safe and out of the justice system,” while helping them identify their talents and paths for growth.
“We understand that looking at an individual, not just through the lens of what actions may have occurred or (taken) place, but understanding their story… all are important,” Martinez said. “It’s really just taking the human-centered approach and putting them first, before anything.”
Wednesday’s event featured other tabling organizations that collaborated with Pal Center, a live DJ, and a space for kids to play soccer during the viewing party. One such organization was College Advising Prep, an educational service that has been working with the center since 2020. Founder Layla Ouk said it partners with Pal Center to run a summer program that helps those who were greatly impacted academically by the pandemic, working on reading, math and writing. Ouk stressed the importance of community events like this.
“We want to be very involved in the community and the partners that we work with, as well as, you know, the community that we serve,” Ouk said. “So we want to be able to always have a presence and to show up and have that visibility and have a great time and keep the energy and the vibe going with our partners.”
The energy was certainly up Wednesday evening, the DJ set, drums and excitement from the game alone made Courthouse Square come alive. Such is the importance of sports in bringing the community together, for San Mateo County Supervisor Lisa Gauthier.
“There’s amazing turnout.” Gauthier said. “ We’re wearing the colors, we’re cheering for the right team. … We are ready, and we’re so grateful for Pal (Center), and for all their work.”
It seems apt that the Pal Center would begin its 30th-anniversary celebrations with soccer-related activities. For David Jacobson, a marketing and communications consultant working with Pal Center, the importance of sports in strengthening the community is clear.
“Sports in general are a way into people’s hearts and a way to build bridges and connect people, and there’s quotations like that from Nelson Mandela onward, and that’s something that really rings true with Pal Center,” Jacobson said.
Christie Ochoa, who was tabling on behalf of the Stanford Healthcare Community Affairs Team, ran the hydration station at Wednesday’s event. For Ochoa, the event was very meaningful.
“Being Mexicana myself, (and) being raised watching the World Cup, it’s honestly an honor to be able to participate in an event that’s dedicated to our culture,” Ochoa said.
Martinez said Pal Center is also using PACE as a case study as it seeks grants to continue the work.
“(We will) continue to collect the data and show that we can create something meaningful, impactful for the youth, and change the way that some of our systems have been operating,” Martinez said.
Pal Center is going big with its 30th anniversary. Apart from this week’s Futbol Fiesta on the Block, programming will continue into September. On June 29 at Stanford University, the Green and Gold Invitational Golf Tournament will be held. A celebration with Cañada College will take place on July 17, and on September 19, they will be hosting the first-ever Pal Royale casino night and poker tournament — the location of which has not yet been announced.
