“Real Talk” Event For Youth Held at PAL

The Linden Police Athletic League hosted their first “Real Talk” event in March. The event was geared toward helping teens build the courage and confidence to make smart decisions in challenging situations. “It’s rough to be a kid today” said Police Officer and PAL Director Danny “DK” Kuczynski, who organized the event. “I see these kids all the time, and when I started to see some of them make decisions that could get themselves in trouble I asked for help.”
Dozens of Police Officers joined community leaders and role models who spoke openly with the audience about a number of different topics related to decision making. “This is an important message for kids to hear” said Police Chief Jonathan Parham. “For it to be effective they have to hear it from someone who can say they’ve been there.” Guest speakers Deon Candia, O’Neil Thomas Jr. and Waliyy “Main Event” Dixon shared their stories and explained how decisions made today can have an impact on lives long into the future. One of the most captivating speakers of the night was Greg Zambrana, who spoke frankly about how bad decisions derailed his once promising baseball career and landed him in state prison. “I was 300- 859 for six years. I didn’t even know what my name was no more. That’s all I was, a number,” said Zambrana.
The PAL plans to build off of this event and offer more events like it later in the year. “You are the future, and everyone here tonight is here for you,” Mayor Derek Armstead told the audience “Not to lecture you or to judge you, but because we love you.”