The Peachtree Miata Club Donates 50 Teddy Bears and $250 to the Alpharetta PAL
Suzanne McNabb of the Peachtree Miata Club coordinated the collection of over 50 teddy bears and $250 cash for the Alpharetta Police Athletic League on Saturday January 12th. Officer Jim Little, CEO of Alpharetta PAL and Matt Burger were on hand to accept the donation from the Miata Club.
The Peachtree Miata Club was founded in 1990 by a small core group of Miata enthusiasts, many of whom remain very active to this day. The membership is varied, with members from as far away as California, Michigan, Miami and New Jersey. The Peachtree Miata Club is a group of loyal Mazda Miata MX-5 owners and friends in the Atlanta and North Georgia area of different ages and walks of life sharing one common passion, the Miata. First and foremost, they are a social car club. From long drives, going to ball games, weekend getaways to cheering on members racing activities, they like to have fun.
The teddy bears were taken to the Public Safety Headquarters for police officers and firefighters to use during stressful situations involving children. “It is amazing the power a teddy bear can have to a child in distress,” said Officer Matt Burger. “In almost all cases the small teddy bear provides a calming effect and helps the child deal with the crisis that is causing so much distress,” continued Officer Burger.
“The Police Athletic League is a community program supported by the City of Alpharetta and local donors,” said Jim Little, PAL CEO. “It is groups like the Peachtree Miata Club who come together for fun and help other organizations like ours that make this gift so special.”
Alpharetta PAL is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, community-based outreach organization formed in 1996 to provide a variety of services to Alpharetta’s youth while establishing a bond of mutual respect, understanding and trust with the Alpharetta Police.
With the overall objective of youth crime prevention, PAL’s mission is to provide an environment of “LEADERS BUILDING LEADERS” using a three-prong system of having kids teaching/mentoring kids under the supervision of, and in partnership with, the Alpharetta Police Department. PAL utilizes local high school student leaders, as well as adult community leaders, to serve as conduits to building relationships with program participants.
