NEWPORT BEACH, California, Nov. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Orange County Hispanic Education Endowment Fund (HEEF) held its 26th Annual “Somos HEEF” Celebration on Thursday, November 7, 2019 at the City National Grove of Anaheim. The event is the organization’s annual fundraiser to support its scholarship program for Hispanic/Latino youth in Orange County, and it recognizes community leaders who positively impact the lives and education of Hispanic students.
The 2019 HEEF Annual Celebration awarded $250,500 in scholarships to 87 recipients, representing 31 high schools in 12 Orange County school districts. The event also raised over $200,000 with its better-than-expected sponsor commitments and the “Fund-A-Scholar” portion of the event. Sponsors for this year’s event were led by Angels Baseball Foundation, with additional sponsors including SVA Architects, Edison International, Union Bank, and National University, among others.
The dinner celebration also honored:
- Corporate Partner Award: Arte & Carole Moreno via the Angels Baseball Foundation, which invests in education, healthcare, arts & sciences, and community-related youth programs
- Community Partner Award: Dr. Donald and Mrs. Lois Verleur, Founders of Olive Crest, which has transformed the lives of over 70,000 abused, neglected, and at-risk children and their families
- HEEF Scholar Alumnus Award: Alex Serna, Executive Director of Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano (2007 HEEF Scholar)
- Apple of Gold for Excellence in Education: Beau Menchaca, Guidance Counselor from Santa Ana Unified School District; and Al Mijares, Ph.D., Orange County Superintendent of Schools
Carole Moreno, recipient of the Corporate Partner Award, stated, “Arte and I are both first generation college students. We look back and realize a lot of people helped us along the way, so we really feel it’s our privilege and great honor to do the same in helping others to go forward. We have a special passion for education.”
The Hispanic Educational Endowment Fund was founded in 1994 by a group of business and community leaders in Orange County who saw the need to support deserving students to reach their education goals. The focus of HEEF is to provide scholarships, mentoring, and support to Hispanic youth in Orange County, California. Funds are dedicated to students in early learning and pre-college stages, and to scholarships for those that are college-bound. Since its inception, the organization has awarded more than $2.7 million to over 2,300 students. For more information, visit www.heef.org.
Media Contact:
Beth Binger
BCIpr
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SOURCE Orange County Hispanic Education Endowment Fund
