By Helen Borland / Staff

The Alpharetta Police Athletic/Activities League (Alpharetta PAL) hosted its 14th annual Benefit and Recognition Ball Friday at the Metropolitan Club.

It was a fun-filled evening of dinner, dancing, casino-style gambling, silent and live auctions and more. This year’s PAL Ball had a cruise ship theme and partygoers enjoyed tropical hors d’oeuvres, colorful cocktails and other culinary delights from the high seas.

The ball benefited Alpharetta PAL, a non-profit community-based outreach organization created to provide a variety of services to Alpharetta’s youth while establishing a bond of mutual respect, understanding and trust with the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety.

PAL Board Chairman Jim Paine boasted, "The PAL Ball is an event that has become much anticipated by the entire North Fulton Community every year. Besides being the principal fund raiser for PAL, it's a fabulous party with a different theme every year. Attending ‘The Ball’ has become a tradition with many over the last 14 years.”

PAL’s mission is to provide an environment of Leaders Building Leaders using a system to mentor young people under the supervision of and in partnership with the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety, with the overall objective of youth crime prevention.

Contact Helen Borland at hborland@beaconcast.com.

All labels are left to right.

9819 – Janet Rodgers, President of the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau, Judy Lagerbloom, secretary of PAL, Jim Paine, Chair of PAL, and Pamela Harroff, Chair of the Ball.

9825 – Designer purses and jewelry were some of the auction items.

9827 – Alexa Schaefer takes guitar lessons through the PAL program. She and several other students showed off their newly developed skills in the lobby of the Metropolitan Club at the beginning of the Ball.

 The blackjack tables were waiting and ready to go

Croupiers Alan Weisberg, Stevee Ashlock and Anna Babal.

The PAL Board: Chair Jim Paine, Secretary Judy Lagerbloom, Vice Chair Michael Hiffa, Lynne Riley, Ball Chair Pamela Harroff, President of the Alpharetta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Janet Rodgers, Stephanie Schuette, Jan Doetsch and PAL CEO Jason Cimino

Jason Cimino, PAL CEO; Gary George, Alpharetta Public Safety Director; Linda George; and Arthur Letchas, mayor of Alpharetta.

Music teacher Owen Griffith is pictured with Kyle Sudu, one of the guitar students. Griffith has been working with the PAL program for three years and said that any young person with a desire to learn to play the guitar can apply. Guitars are donated and the students can use them for free as long as they’re in the PAL program. Weekly group lessons are $15. Griffith is enthusiastic about the PAL guitar program. “The program’s great! I get as much from these kids as they get from me, that’s for sure.”

Party goers Pat Pirkey and Ret. Air Force Col. Fred Pirkey are dressed for the cruise theme.

Roswell Mayor Jere Wood and Alpharetta Judge Jim Matoney.

In addition to boxing and guitar lessons, in 2009 PAL sponsored a summer camp, tutoring and an after-school program.