Greater Norristown PAL Accepts $25k From AT&T to Help Kids

The Greater Norristown Police Athletic League (GNPAL) was the happy recipient of a $25,000 check from AT&T at their Norristown building on Friday morning, where representatives from GNPAL, the Norristown police, AT&T and the Boy Scouts, as well as State Rep. Mike Vereb, came together to celebrate the start of GNPAL’s Law Enforcement Career Exploring program that will give under-served high school students experience with law enforcement careers.

“I’ve very excited about the day and the gift that AT&T is giving us,” said GNPAL executive director Brett Wells, who gave the opening remarks.

From the Boy Scouts of America, Michael Green, the district executive of the Lafayette District of the Cradle of Liberty Council came to witness the event. The Boy Scouts are partnering with GNPAL in this venture to educate the students.   

According to Mike Schweder, the president of AT&T in the mid-Atlantic states who was happy to be at the gathering, his company finds it important to be a good corporate citizen. “It’s a pleasure to be here with State Representative Mike Vereb, who really came to the front of the programs and involved us with this,” he said.

Alan Tempest, GNPAL’s current board president, said that AT&T’s contribution is greatly welcome. “We have an ever-growing need in the greater Norristown area,” he said.   

“Simply put, PAL saved my life,” said Mike Vereb.

According to Vereb, he and his friends spent a good amount of time years back on playing on the dirt bike tracks of the Norristown’s PAL: “It gave me the ability to become a police officer, to work on narcotics. I can’t be any more proud to stand here with PAL and think about many lives will be saved.”