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Oakland PAL Athletes Win at International Children’s Games in South Korea

By Magaly Muñoz Post Staff Kids with the Oakland PAL, or Oakland Police Activities League, brought home four medals in track & field at the International Children’s Games in South Korea this summer. The children’s games were created to foster friendship and understanding of Olympic ideals through the “encouragement of sports meets and competitions to […]
The post Oakland PAL Athletes Win at International Children’s Games in South Korea first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

October 4, 2023

Magaly Muñoz

By Magaly Muñoz
Post Staff

Kids with the Oakland PAL, or Oakland Police Activities League, brought home four medals in track & field at the International Children’s Games in South Korea this summer.

The children’s games were created to foster friendship and understanding of Olympic ideals through the “encouragement of sports meets and competitions to enable the children of different countries, with their different languages, origins and outlooks,” according to the International Children’s Games official website.

The girls team won silver in the 4×100 relay, the boys team won gold in the 100m and silver in the 400m, and gold in the 4×100 relay.

Margaret Dixon, a now-retired police officer with Oakland PD, coaches the PAL program’s track-and-field team and has been doing so for 38 years. She says the young athletes were full of excitement to meet new people in a completely different country.

“They were like Olympic stars,” Dixon said. “You know, people were really engaged and in tune to them.”

She added that the kids shared autographs, pins and jerseys with other athletes, really getting to mimic the experience of what the actual Olympics would feel and look like.

Coach Dixon said talent is not the only thing she evaluates when choosing who gets to go to these types of competitions. She looks to see who would be the most appreciative of the experience and who would fully immerse themselves in these environments.

“Yes, I want you to be athletically able to handle such competition. But I also want to know, can I travel with you out of the country?” Dixon said. “I look at the parents to see what kind of attitude they have. Because usually, you know, a good parent attitude will trickle down to a good kids’ attitude.”

She says that the kids that were ultimately selected were taken to language classes and restaurants before the trip to Korea so that they could get familiar with the culture and history before the competition.

Dixon also said so many people come together to support and educate these young athletes so that they are able to achieve what they work so hard for.

Janai Gillam, mother of Kaylen Gillam who was on the girls’ team, was one of the parents who got to watch her child bring home a medal. She said her daughter, 13 at the time of the competition, has been with the PAL program for almost seven years and she couldn’t be prouder of her and the rest of the kids.

“It just shows that hard work pays off and you can do anything you can when you put your mind to it,” Gillam said. “When I say those kids did it, they showed up and showed out for Oakland.”

She added that not only does the program help the kids stay active and healthy, but it also keeps them disciplined and helps them stay in line in their everyday lives. She says the program has positively impacted her daughter, who plans to stay with Oakland PAL while also running track in high school.

Coach Dixon shared the same sentiment that the program wasn’t all about running or athletics, it was also about providing them with the tools and opportunities to pursue this after high school. She said PAL gives out scholarships every year to students in the program because they know college is expensive and they want to give these kids a leg up that they normally might not have.

Phinehas Browne, one of the kids on the boys’ team who went to compete in South Korea, says track and field is exactly what he wants to pursue outside of PAL into high school, and hopefully, one day at the LA 2028 Summer Olympics.

“If I run a good enough time, I should be able to go there [the Olympics]. That’s my goal right now,” Browne, 15, said.

Browne was one of the boys who helped win the gold medal in the 4×100 relay and he personally brought home the silver medal in the 400m race. He says he puts in anywhere from four to seven hours into training, so he’s happy that his hard work was rewarded so well at the competition.

He shared that being part of Oakland PAL has helped him stay out of trouble and kept him involved with the community. He wants other kids his age to know that there are opportunities worldwide for them and that there are good things that come out of Oakland, not just whatever stereotypes the city has, and being able to compete internationally felt like the first step for others to see that.

“And now people know about Oakland, not just in the U.S., but across the world,” Browne said. “Being able to know that people know my face and know my name and they have a different outlook on Oakland than some others might have, it just feels good.”

The post Oakland PAL Athletes Win at International Children’s Games in South Korea first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

The post Oakland PAL Athletes Win at International Children’s Games in South Korea first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper.

Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities.

The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Oakland PAL Athletes Win at International Children’s Games in South Korea

Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper. Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities. The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

2 weeks ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.