Boxing legend De La Hoya donates $20,000 to CCSD teachers
Oscar De La Hoya, chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, speaks as his partner Holly Sonders holds an oversized check during a news conference at Clark High School Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. The Oscar De La Hoya Foundation donated $20,000 to the Vegas Force Foundation targeted to help teachers in 13 Title 1 schools. A Title 1 school is a school that receives federal funding to support students that are economically disadvantaged.
Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 | 2 a.m.
Before he was one of boxing’s greats, Oscar De La Hoya was a high school kid with a history teacher named Mr. Benson who made him feel like he could do whatever he wanted, if he applied himself.
In his life, De La Hoya became a 10-time world champion in six divisions, an Olympic gold medalist, a fight promoter and a philanthropist.
In the Clark County School District, there are a lot of teachers like Mr. Benson, De La Hoya said. That’s why the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation this week gave $20,000 to help 13 low-income Las Vegas schools.
“Mr. Benson really changed my life,” De La Hoya said Wednesday at an event at Clark High School, one of the schools benefiting from his donation. “That’s the real reason why I’m here, why we donate monies to such great causes.”
The schools are in Clark County’s District F in the west valley. Commissioner Justin Jones, who represents District F, presented the foundation with a proclamation thanking it for the donation.
The schools receiving the donations are Title I schools. Title I is a federal education law that provides additional funding to help disadvantaged students succeed.
“Despite the federal funding, many of our Title I teachers find themselves spending their own money on school supplies, which just isn’t right,” Jones said.
De La Hoya credited his partner, former sports broadcaster Holly Sonders, for encouraging him to give to schools.
They moved to Henderson from Los Angeles a few months ago and De La Hoya said they have found a peaceful, safe community of nice people here.
“That’s not right” that teachers don’t always have everything they need, “because teachers have the most important and special jobs in the world,” she said.
De La Hoya agreed that teachers are “the most special people.”
“The time, the efforts, the energy, the love, the heart, the sincerity that they have to literally change lives is incredible,” he said.
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