The Police Activities League hosted its annual Chris Carrey PAL Education Scholarship Fund recognition ceremony at St. Monica's Grand Pavilion in Santa Monica.
Seven Santa Monica PAL youth, including one junior and six graduating seniors, received individual scholarship funds totaling $33,500. Each recipient received between $3,500 and $7,000 and was honored with a special commendation from Sen. Ben Allen.
More than 100 community stakeholders, supporters and families attended the outdoor event. City Councilmembers Natalya Zernitskaya and Barry Snell, along with Police Chief Ramon Batista, were present to show their continued support of PAL's mission.
The scholarship recipients were Branden Banks, Lupita Leon, Joshua Lesley, Esteban Nunez, Emily Rodriguez, Audry Ventura Vargas and Zoe Ventura Vargas. The graduating seniors plan to attend CSU Northridge, UC Santa Cruz and Santa Monica College, among other institutions.
Two of this year's honorees have participated in PAL programs for more than a decade. Many recipients are the first in their families to attend college, making these awards particularly meaningful.
"Now in its 23rd year, this annual celebration continues to thrive thanks to the unwavering generosity of individuals and businesses—especially Ed Simmons and Metropolis, and longtime supporters Neil and Karen Carrey," said Eula Fritz, director of the Santa Monica Police Activities League. "Their commitment plays a vital role in opening doors for our PAL youth, many of whom rely on this support to pursue their educational goals and build brighter futures."
The Chris Carrey PAL Education Fund was created through a joint gift from Ed Simmons and Standard Parking and Neil and Karen Carrey. Since 2002, the fund has provided scholarships for post-high school education expenses to PAL members who meet required criteria, show financial need and successfully complete an application package.
The scholarships are awarded in memory of Chris Carrey, who lived in Santa Monica for all 16½ years of his life. He was an excellent student in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, excelled in tennis and played bass guitar. Chris wanted to become a chef and performed his community service at PAL.
In its 23 years, more than 130 scholarships totaling more than $440,000 have been awarded to PAL youth in the Santa Monica community.
Santa Monica PAL is located at 1401 Olympic Blvd. For more information, call 310-458-8988 or visit smpal.org.
Edited by SMDP Staff