Phillies, MLB give $50K grant to Police Athletic League of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Philadelphia Phillies and Major League Baseball announced a new effort Tuesday to help community organizations in the city.

The Phillies and Major League Baseball gave $50,000 worth of grant money to the Police Athletic League.

"It's the most important work that we're able to do off the field," said April Brown, vice president of social responsibility for the MLB.

MLB initially awarded $25,000 to the Phillies through its Fall Classic Legacy Initiative to help the community. It's been around since 2019.

The Phillies chose to give the grant to PAL and then matched the amount through its charity.

"I love that it's an open environment to come into every day," said one student participant.

"These centers provide our children with safe, structured and supervised activities during peak hours," said Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. "Truly, PAL provides a safe haven for our kids in sometimes a very unsafe world."

PAL has worked to provide a safe and educational place for youth to take part in activities for free for 75 years.

PAL said it will use the money to refurbish two rooms and build an E-gaming room for kids at the organization's headquarters on East Clearfield Street in Port Richmond.

Cole Hamels, 2008 World Series Champion and MVP pitcher, showed his support during the event and stressed the importance of helping the youth.

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"This right here today really does show that there's an importance behind their futures," Hamels said.

An area that's being used as a storage closet will become the new E-gaming room. They'll have game consoles and sports simulations.

The staff is also planning to bring in a coding expert to show the kids how the games are designed behind the scenes.

The renovation is expected to be completed in a couple of months.