Coach Leonard Orona Scholarship Fund

Leonard Orona, best known as “Coach Orona,” served as Head Coach of the Boy’s & Girl’s Bell Gardens High School Cross Country teams from 1986 to 2006. During the 20 years he coached at BGHS, he collected a total of 24 league championships, but most importantly, he touched the lives of all students he mentored and left a lasting impact on those who were fortunate to have crossed his path.  The majority of his runners came from low income families, in many instances, he would buy groceries and shoes for students who would otherwise not have the means to do so.  One of Coach Orona’s many lasting impacts is the high value he placed on education.  He would go out of his way to drive students to visit college campuses.  He encouraged his runners to attend college and would make sure his seniors had a plan after high school.  Because of his encouragement, many would go on to be the first in their family to earn a degree, opening the door to new possibilities for them and their families. 

Why you should donate to The Coach Leonard Orona’s Memorial Scholarship Fund...?

Coach Orona’s tireless dedication and love for his runners will never be forgotten and will continue to serve as a source of inspiration to all who knew him. To honor his legacy, BGHS Cross Country Alumni along with his family and friends, have created this memorial scholarship and would like to award up to two $500-dollar scholarships annually to graduating BGHS Cross Country runners.  We could not think of a better way to honor his memory than to assist students in pursuing a higher education.

Funds collected will be used to award scholarships to graduating BGHS Cross Country runners and to create a non-profit to ensure that scholarships are awarded annually for many years to come.  All board members and officers will serve voluntarily and 100% of monies collected will go towards scholarships and the basic operating cost of the non-profit. 

The first scholarships in memory of Coach Orona will be awarded at the annual Awards Banquet on *****.  Recipients will be posted on this page.  If you are interested in getting involved in addition to donating funds, please let us know, contact us at www.facebook.com/xcountrybg/ .  We are looking for people interested in making a difference and keeping Coach Orona’s legacy alive!