BRAVO Group was honored to support the first Police Athletic League Business Luncheon of the summer featuring Guest Speaker New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
John Catsimatidis welcomed all by reminding us that the PAL Luncheon has welcomed every New York City mayor since its start, and today was a historic day in that tradition. He wanted us all to remember that the goal is to help more kids in the inner city. He closed by what would be a theme of the event – communication and unity. “The number one item is communication, then we can come up with solutions together.”
Before the Mayor’s address, PAL shared a video featuring BRAVO Group’s ‘Webster’s Garden’ project at PAL’s Webster Avenue location in the Bronx. We felt honored to have this project highlighted and the lasting experiences it is creating for kids.
Mayor Mamdani began his message of unity with thanks. He reminded the room that we have PAL to thank for the cherished New York summer tradition: children gathering around a fire hydrant, transforming a city street into a play of joy, connection, and relief from the summer heat. With the 1914 Play Streets initiative, PAL solved the resource concern with a water saving spray cap, which demonstrated how good New Yorkers are at solving problems together. The bonus underlying message from the program was that people are more likely to trust each other if they play together. The Mayor observed, we may come from different backgrounds and different neighborhoods but we are united in our love of the city.
We were honored to welcome Carlo Scissura, Joe Mizzi, Frank Sciame and Alexander Rich to our table. As well as the inimitable former Governor David Paterson – who also took to the podium and delivered a speech that had us all laughing and feeling good.
Former FBI Assistant Director George Venizelos wrapped things up by urging us to remember that we have to work for America, not for our different political parties. He pointed out what we all know to be true, “New York City is the greatest city in the world. A key part of keeping it that way is to start with the kids,” and he lauded PAL for their work doing just that.
Thanks to all who support PAL and here’s to the unity we’d all like to see.
