Colts Neck High School seniors Ally McGowan and Ben Long have been recognized as the national PAL female and male youths of the year in recognition of their dedication and commitment to the Howell Police Athletic League and the community of Howell, according to a press release from the Freehold Regional High School District.
The awards are presented annually to honor outstanding youth volunteers who have made extra significant contributions to their PAL and their community during the previous year, according to the press release.
This is the first time two youths from the same PAL chapter have won this award in the same year. National PAL has more than 350 chapters across the United States and in Nigeria.
For the past six years, Ally and Ben have demonstrated their commitment to helping others by leading through action, according to the press release. They each have provided more than 1,000 hours of community service during that time.
Their efforts have included preparing food and feeding homeless individuals on a weekly basis, raking leaves, shoveling snow in a senior citizens community, working with students who have special needs, assisting the township with community cleanups, delivering presents to sick children on Christmas morning and helping younger students to become future leaders at youth leadership conferences, according to the press release.
Howell Police Sgt. Chris Hill, who directs the PAL program, said, “Ally and Ben are hard workers and they are compassionate. They did not come to the PAL just to satisfy a requirement for community service hours. They came here for the right reasons, to serve others.”
Hill said that in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy in 2012, Ally, Ben and other young adults who volunteer at the PAL went into the community to clean up debris the storm left on the properties of Howell residents.
He said the work that was performed by the PAL volunteers was appreciated by people who did not have to file an insurance claim and face the prospect of higher premiums from their insurance company.