At left, children receive gifts at the Police Activity League’s recent Winter Wonderland at the Carousel House in Santa Barbara. On the right is a police officer participating in Winter Wonderland.
The Santa Barbara Police Action League gave 176 children personalized gifts during PAL’s 22nd Annual Winter Wonderland Vacation at Carousel House.
On December 15, 72 local families will have the opportunity to soak up the holiday atmosphere by taking pictures with Santa, dancing, making holiday crafts and face painting. was. Dinner and dessert were prepared by El Pastorcito Taqueria.
All children in attendance received a wrapped holiday gift. Of these children, 85% were employees of the Santa Barbara Police Department, 10% were members of the community, and 5% were sponsored by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
At Winter Wonderland, a local police officer helped serve dinner and spent time with his family.
This evening was a special reprieve for the family during a difficult time for many. According to PAL, many of these families rarely spend time together just for fun. Families attending this year’s event have recently become homeless, or are facing grief or loss. Some are single parents with no family support for their children.
PAL said it strives to build positive mentoring relationships between teenagers, police departments and community members through its leadership, mentorship and academic development programs. For more information, please visit www.sbpal.org.