NCPAL Hicksville Unit Volunteer John Bentrewicz among 2015 PAL Heroes to be Honored

Hicksville, NY; April 24, 2015 – The Nassau County Police Activity League (NCPAL) has named Hicksville Unit volunteer John Bentrewicz among its 2015 PAL Heroes. He is among the seven longtime volunteers to be recognized as heroes at the upcoming NCPAL Gala Award Ceremony taking place 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 sports, arts and crafts and other programs.

“John has set himself apart with his exceptional volunteer service and long-term dedication to the Hicksville unit, the youths who comprise it and his commitment to PAL’s philosophy: It is better to build youths than to mend adults,’” said Nassau County PAL President Frank DiVittorio.

A second generation PAL volunteer, Bentrewicz followed in the footsteps of his father who has volunteered his time for over 40 years. He played basketball and baseball in PAL from third through eighth grade. As a teenager he refereed basketball games and umpired baseball games. He has been involved with the Hicksville PAL Unit specifically for the past 15 years, its basketball commissioner for the past 10 years and the unit’s vice president since 2010. When his oldest son was old enough to play baseball and basketball, Bentrewicz became a coach and manager of his teams. Now his other children are involved and he continues to volunteer as a basketball coach as well as a lacrosse coach.

“I love coaching younger kids and seeing them succeed and am most proud of the growth of Hicksville basketball and the multi-town league,” said Bentrewicz. “It’s a great thing when all the kids get a chance to play and when you see the growth of the league when players come back to PAL basketball, allowing us to have a high school league.”

Other NCPAL longtime volunteers to be honored at the NCPAL Gala are Everton Marcus of Baldwin; Gary Britton of Bethpage; Sunil Sani of the Great Neck PAL; Roy Vasile of Merrick PAL; Charles Durrant of the Oyster Bay/ East Norwich PAL; Mike Fasano of Plainview; Quontinett Simmons of the Roosevelt PAL; Michele Newell of Uniondale PAL; and Harvey Pollack of Massapequa-based Special Needs Unit PAL.

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.