PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Police Athletic League Center in Port Richmond is getting a new e-gaming room, thanks to the Phillies and Major League Baseball.
MLB is donating $25,000 to the Philadelphia Police Athletic League, and Phillies Charities, Inc. is matching it. The $50,000 will be used to create an electronic gaming room at the 24th PAL Center at 2524 East Clearfield Street.
MLB, through its Fall Classic Legacy initiative, donates to communities in the World Series host cities.
“I think this room will provide yet another exciting and structured refuge for our kids – again, our future leaders,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Tuesday during a ceremony at the center.
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2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels, along with 2022 MLB Roberto Clemente award winner Justin Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, delivered the first Xbox and PS4 games for the room and posed for pictures with PAL kids.
“I’ve always been a big believer and proponent in trying to provide good opportunities for kids,” Hamels told reporters.
Phillies Executive Vice President Dave Buck said the empty second-floor room will be transformed into a place where kids want to be.
“We’re doing the e-gaming room like everybody said,” Buck said. “It’s going to be wonderful. It’s going to help the youth of Philadelphia. And when I come back in a year, I challenge anybody to MLB The Show, all right?”
“It’s in a great environment. It’s a place I can go to and actually relax and feel safe at. And I can play games here,” Natalie Erickson, 16, told KYW Newsradio. “It’s like at my house, but it’s better.”
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Landon Sharpe, 14, plays a lot of Madden and NBA 2K, but he said MLB is the first game he hopes to play in the new room.
“It’s just going to be better because it’s probably going to be better than my stuff at home. Hopefully I can play with all of my friends here,” said Sharpe.
Natalie said she’s at the Port Richmond PAL Center nearly every day of the week, and it means a lot to her that the Phillies are stepping in to improve it.