BY JO PRESSIMONE
PALS Advancement Manager
PALS Summer 2023 wrapped up with a virtual Season Finale party. Over 140 Participants from the summer gathered on Zoom to share memories from the summer, relive our favorite moments with the recap video, and to celebrate the recipients of the Spirit of PALS Awards.
The inaugural Spirit of PALS Awards were given to one Partner and one Volunteer to recognize members of the community who embody the mission, spirit, and values of PALS. We received a lot of nominations from the PALS Community, a true testament to how special this summer was. We are excited to share the award winners!
The Spirit of PALS Award for a Partner went to Melodie Corcoran. She attended Philadelphia 2 this summer. She was nominated by her Peer Carolina.
Carolina said “She was my Partner with Down syndrome and she was shy at first and I thought we wouldn't get along but she blossomed and everyone at camp knew and loved her. People I didn't even talk to knew Melodie and in a way I appreciated her popularity because I got to know people too. She's creative, friendly, and likes how to have fun which is why I think she deserves the award.”
Thank you to Melodie for bringing your energy to PALS; You treated everyone with kindness and respect.
Melodie embodied the PALS Promise. We can’t wait to see her again next summer!
The Spirit of PALS Award for a Volunteer went to Bobby Olejarczyk. Bobby volunteered at PALS Los Angeles as a Team Lead. He was nominated by Harper, a volunteer that met Bobby at camp.
Harper said, “Bobby is the sweetest person I have ever met. Whenever someone was sad, they asked for Bobby; happy, asked for Bobby, needed something, asked for Bobby, crying, asked for Bobby. He greeted everyone with such an amazing smile and handled every situation with such grace. He brought a sense of ease and comfort to everyone around him and Bobby definitely deserves this nomination.”
Thank you to Bobby for being a leader within the PALS Community; youcontinually ensured both Partners and Peers felt supported and welcome at PALS and brought so much energy during the week.
We are excited to watch Bobby continue to be a leader within our community!
Each and every participant at PALS drives our mission to inspire a world of belonging for all. We are excited to recognize both Melodie and Bobby and are so grateful for our community who came together this summer to build transformative, lifelong friendships and learn the true meaning of inclusion.