24 HOUR RELAY CHALLENGE Builds Bridges

Topic area: Community building

Abington, Pennsylvania -- In the spring of 1993, Officer Bob Allmond of the Abington, Pennsylvania, Police Department attended a youth conference in Miami, Florida. As a member of CAPT (Citizens and Police Together), Bob was charged with the task of looking for a way to bridge the gap between law enforcement, young people, and the broader community of Abington. At the conference he heard Rick Phillips, Executive Director of Community Matters deliver a workshop on the 24 HOUR RELAY CHALLENGE. After talking further with Rick about the program, he was certain he'd found what he was looking for.

Bob returned to his community and gained the support and involvement of the CAPT organization to spearhead the first ever Abington 24 HOUR RELAY CHALLENGE. Two local hospitals each provided $2000 in start-up funds; and they, along with the school district and the Police Department, acted as co-sponsors of the program. In the fall of 1994 Community Matters was contracted to deliver a two day training designed to prepare the youth and adult led planning team to plan and produce the event.

The first event, held in May of 1995, was an overwhelming success. More than 500 youth and adults participated and over $15,000 was raised to support local youth development programs and activities. In addition, the event increased communication and trust among several groups: youth and police, the schools and the police department, and the schools and the business community. As a result, the community became a more positive and united place for all.

Since the first event, Abington has hosted a 24 HOUR RELAY CHALLENGE every year. The program has raised over $100,000 and has spawned several other youth-adult projects. It has become a vibrant tradition that strengthens ties among the community's many disparate groups, and engages youth and adults in a concrete experience that affirms the positive core values of the Abington community.

See: 24 Hour Relay Challenge

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