NCPAL Roosevelt Unit Volunteer Quontinett Simmons Named Among 2015 PAL Heroes

Roosevelt, NY; April 24, 2015 – The Nassau County Police Activity League (NCPAL) is proud to name Roosevelt Unit volunteer Quontinett Simmons among its 2015 PAL Heroes. She is among seven longtime volunteers to be recognized as heroes at the upcoming NCPAL Gala Award Ceremony on May 1, 2015, at the Coral House in Baldwin. NCPAL, with the help of thousands of volunteers, operates 29 units in 40 different communities providing 35,000 young people opportunities to participate in athletic, arts and crafts and educational programs.

“Quontinett has set herself apart with her exceptional service and long-term dedication to the Roosevelt Unit and the youths who comprise it as well as through her commitment to the Police Activity League philosophy: It is better to build youths than to mend adults,” said Nassau County PAL President Frank DiVittorio.

Ten years ago Quontinett enrolled her children in PAL activities and immediately offered to volunteer. She was named the Assistant Commissioner of the cheerleading program and several years later she became the Assistant to the Football Commissioner. Quontinett was employed as secretary for the sports programs and when the Roosevelt PAL experienced financial hardships, she continued to support the Unit without pay. She is a member of the Roosevelt PAL board and serves as secretary.

Other NCPAL volunteers to be honored at the NCPAL Gala include Everton Marcus of Baldwin; Gary Britton of Bethpage, Sunil Sani of the Great Neck PAL; John Bentrewicz of the Hicksville PAL; Roy Vasile of Merrick PAL; Charles Durrant of the Oyster Bay/ East Norwich PAL; Mike Fasano of Plainview; Michele Newell of Uniondale PAL; and Harvey Pollack of the Special Needs Unit PAL.

“When I first put my son in football, he was under Tony Hall who was the commissioner and my son won his first championship game. I was just excited for him because I knew he liked athletics,” said Quontinett. “Seeing the kids grow up, me being in the program and being committed to the program for all these years has meant the most to me. Just to see the kids grow up and come to me and hug me and say ‘Hi Ms. Q!’ It makes me feel great and to see them go off in 12th grade, because a lot of them are seniors and it’s a nice achievement.”

For more information about Nassau County PAL youth sports and other programs or to inquire about volunteering with NCPAL, please visit www.nassaucountypal.org.

Nassau County Police Activity League (NCPAL), founded in 1940, is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization that operates twenty-nine (29) local units, which cover over forty (40) different communities in Nassau County. An executive board, a board of trustees and thousands of volunteers carry out the organization’s mission each day. NCPAL offers programs for over 35,000 young people from across Nassau County. The NCPAL mission is to prevent juvenile delinquency and steer children clear of gang activity, and to aid in the positive interaction of Police Officers and youth. The Nassau County Police Department provides officers to oversee these units and to interact with the youths of these communities. Activities that are offered include sports, crafts, educational, and other programs. These activities vary from unit to unit and are based on the local community needs and interests. For more information about NCPAL www.facebook.com/NassauCountyPalHeadquartersActivities or visit www.nassaucountypal.org.