Create your own site

Headlines

Subscribe to our Newsletter








De La Hoya Donates to Garfield Rebuild
EGP News Service

Boxer Oscar de la Hoya last Friday donated $50,000 to his alma mater, Garfield High School, to help rebuild the school’s iconic auditorium, which was destroyed in a fire.

The school caught fire the morning of May 20. Along with the 1920s-era auditorium, 10 classrooms burned. Damage was estimated at $30 million.

A 16-year-old student was arrested and charged with arson. He has denied the charge in Juvenile Court.

Authorities believe the boy and some friends were playing with matches and did not intend to burn down the school.

The contribution from de la Hoya and business partner John Long brings the total assets of the “Fund to Rebuild Garfield High Auditorium” to more than $76,000, according to the Los Angeles Unified School District.

De la Hoya made the contribution through Golden Boy Partners, the real estate company the boxer owns with Long that focuses on low-income Latino neighborhoods in Southern California, according to the LAUSD.

“Golden Boy Partners is not just about real estate development,” de la Hoya said. “It is about building communities and changing lives.”

Superintendent David L. Brewer III said community members must take an active role to improve their children’s education, and the contribution by de la Hoya and Long is just such an example.

“I am grateful that Oscar de la Hoya and John Long accepted the challenge and are setting an example for others to follow,” Brewer said.

The school was the setting for the movie “Stand and Deliver,” which chronicled the accomplishments of East Los Angeles students who were taught physics so well by teacher Jaime Escalante that they were unfairly accused of cheating.

“The fire at Garfield High School is an absolute tragedy,” LAUSD board member David Tokofsky said earlier. “The fire destroyed the very heart of one of the most historic schools and buildings in the district. Nothing could sadden a community more.”

Built in 1925, the auditorium was considered an area landmark, with Depression glass chandeliers and ornate plasterwork covering the walls.

Donations to the rebuilding fund can be made at any Bank of America branch. More information on making a donation can be obtained by calling the LAUSD Office of Communications, (213) 241-6766.






For more information about EGP's various services, contact the following:
Advertise@egpnews.com Classified@egpnews.com Editorial@egpnews.com Service@egpnews.com