Photo Flash: Tony Danza Celebrates PAL's Summer Playstreets Opening

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On Wednesday, July 9, 2014, the Police Athletic League celebrated 100 years of PAL with the opening of the 2014 Summer Playstreets Program. Hundreds of children gathered on a PAL Playstreet at West 151st in Manhattan to play classic street games including marbles, skelly, hopscotch, traditional Double Dutch jump rope, Nok Hockey and the NYPD provided a portable rock climbing wall. Children cooled off under a fire hydrant opened by PAL Chairman Robert M. Morgenthau. Scroll down for photos of new PAL board member Tony Danza and more at the event!

Special guests included William J. Bratton, PAL Honorary President & New York City Police Commissioner; Robert M. Morgenthau, PAL Chairman; Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., Manhattan District Attorney; Rikki Klieman, PAL Board Member; Tony Danza, PAL Board Member and John B. Osborn, PAL President. At the event, Marvel and BBDO NY shared a new Avengers comic book, Heroes Welcome, an initiative of BBDO''s Diversity Council, as part of a summer-long interactive workshop series.

For 100 years, PAL has closed off streets and other public areas throughout New York City to give children safe, supervised places to play during the summer. In 1914, Police Commissioner Arthur Woods opened the first Playstreets out of concern for children who lived in congested areas of the city. He set aside blocks as playgrounds, where traffic was prohibited. Public reaction to the development of Playstreets was overwhelmingly favorable, that when Commissioner Woods inspected the Playstreets, mothers rushed to thank him and children cheered his efforts.

PAL Playstreets offer sports, arts, games, crafts, music and dance. PAL is operating throughout the five boroughs this summer, providing Playstreets, sports leagues including Cops & Kids teams and day camps. Nearly 10,000 children will be served citywide at 19 Center-Based Summer Day Camps and on close to 50 Playstreets in all five boroughs.

Children develop their creativity through arts, and learn from a wide range of educational, recreational and cultural arts specialists. Playstreets, which include organized play areas in playgrounds, schools or on city streets, will operate for a total of seven weeks. Locations will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and are free to all New York City children. This year, Mayor''s Office of the Criminal Justice Coordinator, MetLife Foundation, the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation and the New York City Council are sponsoring the PAL Playstreets Program. Corporate sponsors including Stub Hub, BBDO, Marvel Comics, Coca-Cola, Delicioso Coco Helado and Doda Catering were on hand at the opening event to help make it an unforgettable experience for NYC children.

New York City's Police Athletic League is the first and finest civilian-run PAL in the country. Founded in 1914, PAL has served the city''s young people for 100 years. PAL provides recreational, educational, cultural and social activities to 40,000 boys and girls annually. It is also the city''s largest, independent, nonprofit youth organization. For more information, visit www.palnyc.org.

Photo Credit: Ben Asen