Garner Police Department 2019 Annual Report Published August 2020 | Page 11

Middle and East Garner Magnet Middle Schools. These coed programs provide academic support, intramurals, field trips, and other activities such as campus beautification. PAAL partnered with various organizations to serve over 500 students at Garner United Methodist Church’s annual Back to School Bash. Garner PAAL partnered with Pride Boxing. Boxing is a trademark sport of National PAL and offers youth the opportunity to channel their anger and aggression through the sport of boxing. Boxing provides a physical outlet while building confidence and self-discipline. Kenny Williams, owner of Pride Boxing and Tar Heel of the Week in August 2018, mentors youth using the boxing ring to teach life lessons. Students are also bound by a contract to be productive students in their schools by maintaining good grades and staying out of trouble. Garner PAAL was able to purchase a 15-passenger van in 2019 through a grant from Garner Rotary. This van allows for transportation of students that could not otherwise attend after-school activities. Garner PAAL, in collaboration with a local restaurant, MoonRunners Saloon, hosted a PAAL golf tournament in the fall of 2019. The tournament raised $10,000 and brought the community together to support additional programming. More information on the PAAL program can be found at www.garnerpaal.org. SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZED TO READ (SCOR) SCOR is a locally developed reading buddy program sponsored by the Garner Educational Foundation to The Garner Police Department’s annual Shop with a Cop is made possible in part by the participation of many volunteers. support Garner’s elementary schools. SCOR serves primarily second graders who need additional assistance to improve their reading. Numerous sworn and civilian staff who served as “reading buddies” met with schoolidentified students for 30 minutes each week to provide mentoring and to read from a collection of books provided by the media specialist of that school. SHOP WITH A COP Each year the Garner Police Department partners with TT&E Iron and Metal, Inc. and other area businesses to provide a Christmas party and shopping opportunity to Garner area families who might not otherwise have a Christmas. With the assistance of local school counselors, families in need are identified; with TT&E’s generosity, the families are provided with a shopping budget and police officer escorts at a local retailer that allows for a Christmas celebration that would not otherwise be possible. Since its inception, the “Shop with a Cop” program has provided support to close to 500 children and their families, and more than $500,000 has been donated to support families in need in the Garner community. SPECIAL OLYMPICS The Garner Police Department has long participated in the Schools and Community Organized to Read (SCOR) program. Raising money for Special Olympics has a long tradition in law enforcement locally and nationally. Our agency participates by raising funds and participating in Special Olympics North Carolina. In 2019, we raised a total of $6,837.80. Fundraising events included Cops-on-Top sponsored by Chic-fil-a and T-shirt sales to the public. We also participated in the torch relay across North GARNER POLICE DEPARTMENT 2019 ANNUAL REPORT 11