The nonprofit Nashua PAL (Police Athletic League), announced that its 2022 Junior PAL of the Year is Kane Kyer. Kyer, along with PAL’s athletes of the year in football, basketball, cheerleading, boxing, and boys and girls cross country – as well as youth and adult awardees in coaching, volunteering, and policing – will be honored at the 2022 Night of Champions on Sept. 15 at Nashua’s Holman Stadium.

Formerly known as the “PAL Sports Dinner” at Conway Arena, this year’s event has been relocated to Holman Stadium. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the PAL Night of Champions support PAL’s educational, athletic, and enrichment programs for Nashua’s at-risk youth. They are available at nashuapal.com/events; call 603-594-3733; or email Jen@nashuapal.com. For more information on Nashua PAL, go to www.nashuapal.com.

Kane, 18, is a recent graduate of the Academy of Science and Design (ASD) in Nashua, and is enrolled in the Class of 2026 at the excellent Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He has been an enrolled member of the PAL Youth Safe Haven on Ash St. throughout high school. He first came to PAL as a high school freshman interested in the PAL Boxing Club, where he continues to train today otn the top floor of the Youth Safe Haven.

Kane’s school, the ASD, requires students to perform 150 hours of community service during high school. Despite finishing his 150 hours before the end of his sophomore year, Kane went on to perform hundreds of additional hours. After originally joining the mentioning program to receive mentoring services, he eventually became a mentor to younger PAL kids who share his interests in cooking and STEM learning.

Although Kane possesses many leadership qualities, PAL Youth Safe Haven Program Coordinator Jaela Solis says that his “standout quality is his kindness. He is not only remarkably kind in his dealings with others, but he’s also observant and insightful about ways everyone at PAL can exhibit more and better kindness to one another.” Solis says that Kane is also a great role model for avoiding substance use. Kane puts it this way: “Your body is a temple, so you can’t put drugs and poisons into it and expect it to turn out well for you.”

Everyone at PAL is thrilled about Kane continuing his education at WPI, looks forward to the many contributions he’ll make to his community, the country, and the world, and is proud to have been part of his path to success.