Community members hit the golf course Sunday morning for the “Raise Pali” golf tournament, which supported wildfire recovery efforts for Palisades Charter High School.
Around 40% of Pali High’s campus was lost in the Palisades Fire, which also burned down the homes of 11 staff members and more than 500 students, school officials said in a press release.
“Everyone lost in-person access to their campus, friends, teachers, extracurricular activities and their daily sense of normalcy,” the press release reads.
To restore some of that normalcy, the school reopened at a temporary location on April 22: the old Sears department store located at the corner of Colorado Avenue and 4th Street in Santa Monica.
The new campus, dubbed Pali South, was constructed in about eight weeks, according to a Santa Monica city spokeswoman.
But that spot isn’t permanent, and funds are needed to continue Palisades Charter High’s recovery efforts that include maintaining the temporary space, rebuilding and ultimately, returning to campus.
Thus, the “Raise Pali” golf tournament was created, offering tee times and on-course fundraising activities. The event, founded by parents and students and supported by the broader Pacific Palisades and Los Angeles communities, took place at Penmar Golf Course in Venice.
Speaking to KTLA 5’s Jennifer McGraw, one student, Laila, said that getting back to in-person learning from two spells of Zoom classes (once during the COVID-19 pandemic and again because of the fire) has been “an amazing experience.”
“Coming from Zoom school twice, I’m so grateful we were able to receive an opportunity like this,” she said. “Especially at a campus that’s so close to what we used to have before.”
Palisades Charter High School Dr. Pamela Magee stressed that the school, since it is not part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, has to rely on fundraisers like Sunday’s golf tournament in order for them to afford the rebuild.
“We have lots of support from our community, but there are so many things that our school will need going forward,” Dr. Magee told KTLA. “We are in this temporary location that we feel really blessed that we were able to find and build, but there are many, many expenses that will be part of continuing that until we can return to our home campus.”
KTLA is a proud sponsor of the “Raise Pali” golf tournament, which hits home for several KTLA family members who were affected by the fire burning down Palisades Charter High: Lauren Lyster, Cher Calvin, Wendy Burch and Courtney Friel are all connected to the school through their children and stepchildren.
For those who could not make Sunday’s golf outing but still would like to help out, you can donate to the PCHS Fund by clicking here. Additionally, the Palisades High Booster Club, which focuses on the immediate needs of students not covered by the school’s budget, is also accepting donations.
A complete guide on donating to Pali High can be found here.
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