The Linden Police Athletic League will be hosting its first “Real Talk at the PAL” event.
The event - which is schedule for Mar. 28 at 6:30 pm - is geared towards children ages 13-18 and their parents. Police Officers, community leaders, and role models will speak honestly and openly with the audience about a variety of topics related to decision making.
"The PAL is well known for our sports programs” said Linden Police Officer Danny Kuczynski, who serves as the PAL Director. “Supplemental programs like this are designed to help our kids grow into well-rounded young adults who recognize their potential.”
Growing up in today’s world is not easy, and as adults we know that at some point our children will come to a “fork-in-the-road” moment. “Real Talk” is about helping kids learn the courage and confidence to make smart decisions during difficult situations.
Guest speakers will include:
Daniel Kuczynski- a Linden Police Officer and Director, also known as "DK” by the kids, will speak about choosing goals and finding a way to achieve them when faced with adversity.
James Solano- a Linden Police Traffic Investigator and US Army Veteran who spent 22 months deployed in Iraq, Jimmy will speak about making tough choices and sacrifice.
Deon Candia- a respected educator and coach who led the Linden Tigers Football Team to a State Championship in 2014, will draw on his life experiences to speak about overcoming hardships and focusing through noise and distraction.
Wally Dixon- a Linden Basketball legend and street ball pioneer, Wally “Main Event” will discuss the importance of education and speak about the choices he faced growing up in Linden, through college, and into his basketball career.
Greg Zambrano- a convicted criminal, Zambrano will talk about how his choices derailed a very promising athletic career and led to his incarceration. He will focus on the importance of realizing it is never to late to turn your life around.
Linden Chief of Police Jonathan Parham will address the youth to close the event. “As a community, we have a shared responsibility to prepare our children for the challenges they will face” said Parham. I applaud these men for donating their time to share their stories.”
Photo: Linden PAL