By Steffen Klenk
The Police Activities League of Egg Harbor Township and Atlantic County has officially cut the ribbon on its brand-new building complex. Buddy’s Adventure Zone, and the newly completed crossplex athletic arena, were unveiled during a ceremony on Saturday, June 11. Many local officials were in attendance to tour the 24,000 square foot building, which houses a large Astroturf field, media facilities, eSports room and observatory.
The arena features an 80-foot by 180-foot Astroturf field, perfect for indoor sports such as field hockey, lacrosse and arena football. The field will also be utilized for volleyball, laser tag, batting cages and other grass-related sports. One of the most prominent displays on the wall of the athletic field is a large mural, depicting PAL’s mascots in superhero form. Each of the mascots were designed by Robert Ortiz, PAL’s Chairman of the Board.
In the past, Ortiz has painted murals for the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City and is currently designing a community mural promoting community and law enforcement in Pleasantville. Ortiz spoke about the theme of the mural. “We kicked around the idea of a soccer player or football player but focused more along the lines on teamwork.”
One of the most advanced features of this state-of-the-art building, just down the hall, is the Media Center. With facilities equipped for filming, editing, and podcasting, the possibilities are endless. PAL kids will also have the functionality to film commercials and on-field games. The eSports room is equipped with the latest video game software, perfect for local competitions, while the large open foyer comes complete with table games and seating areas. The second-floor mezzanine gives parents and spectators prime spots to watch on-field action.
From there, curious minds can walk upstairs to the building’s third floor observatory and witness the power of space in a unique way. Kids will be able to utilize the observatory’s fourteen-inch Celestron telescope for visual observing and astrophotography, in addition to opportunities to contribute to NASA data. Michelle Riordan, PAL’s S.T.E.M. Coordinator and Solar System Ambassador with NASA, teaches celestial programs to young minds. Last year, she unveiled a half-mile long educational Solar System Planetary Walk on the Ventnor Boardwalk. “When I was thirteen, my dad gave me a camera, and my grandfather gave me his telescope; I’ve been hooked ever since.”
Original plans for Buddy’s Adventure Zone came to fruition in 2012. During that time, the proposal was to build a 40,000-square-foot building. The indoor arena is one of two buildings that make up the crossplex. The STEM Building, which opened two years ago, provides much-needed space for the organization’s robotics teams and provides space that allows the organization to expand its programming options into the future.
Since its establishment thirty-three years ago, the Police Activities League of Egg Harbor Township & Atlantic County has been serving the greater Egg Harbor Township community, with a mission of improving the relationship between police, youth, and community. Much-needed educational, social, and athletic activities provide area children with the knowledge and skills they need to grow into the future. The organization offers many programs for grade school children in STEM & Robotics, Motor Repair, Off-Highway Riding, and Laser Tag.
As for the future, talks are underway to expand the PAL program into neighboring communities, and to build partnerships with local high schools, colleges and businesses to provide paid internships. As PAL continues to grow and expand, Hector Tavarez, Executive Director and co-founder of PAL, says there is still more work to be done. “As we evolve, we want to take the good kids and make them better kids, take the better kids and make them the best, and offer all our opportunities to all the kids that we can.”
PAL is located at 2542 Ridge Avenue in Egg Harbor Township. You can learn more about Buddy’s Adventure Zone and all of PAL’s exciting programs by going to ehtpal.org, give them a call at (609) 645-8413, or email ehtpal@comcast.net.
Photos by Steffen Klenk
Steffen Klenk is a multimedia journalist. He resides in Ocean City and enjoys capturing the eclectic moments of shore life.
