At left, children receive presents during the Police Activities League’s recent Winter Wonderland at the Carousel House in Santa Barbara. At right, a police officer participates in the Winter Wonderland.
The Santa Barbara Police Activities League presented personalized gifts to 176 children during PAL’s 22nd annual Winter Wonderland holiday at the Carousel House.
Seventy-two local families had the opportunity to get into the holiday spirit Dec. 15 with pictures with Santa, dancing, holiday crafts, face painting and more. Dinner and dessert were catered by El Pastorcito Taqueria.
All children in attendance received a wrapped holiday gift. Of those children, 85% were sponsored by the Santa Barbara Police Department employees, 10% by community members and 5% by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office.
At the Winter Wonderland, local police officers helped serve dinner and spent time with families.
The evening was a special reprieve for the families during a time of year that can be difficult for many. For many of these families, time together to simply have fun is a rare occasion, according to PAL. Some of the families at this year’s event have recently become homeless or are facing grief and loss. Some of the people are single parents without familial support for their children.
PAL noted that it strives to build positive mentoring relationships between teens, the police department, and members of the community through leadership, mentorship, and academic enrichment programs. For more information, visit www.sbpal.org.
