Acting Police Chief Vernon Riddick fired up the rally with an animated speech with the Rocky theme playing in the background.
Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary has been the driving force behind the rebirth of the PAL program in Waterbury. As police chief O’Leary took a program serving less than 100 youth, and within a few years swelled it to 3200 children. The goal of PAL is now to finish building a two-acre park with baseball fields, basketball courts, bocce courts, a playscape and a picnic area. $1.6 million has already been spent buying the property and cleaning up the site. The $1 million needed now is to build the park.
For information about the park, or ways to help PAL, call 1-203-346-3921. Contributions can be sent to Waterbury PAL Park Campaign Fund, 64 Division Street, Waterbury, CT 06704