About 800 local children were treated to Holiday For Hope, a fun-filled day at the John C. Wallace Boys & Girls Club last Saturday, hosted by the Scholars & Champions Foundation and organized by former Poly High football standouts Chris Lewis and Darrell Rideaux.
Lewis earned a scholarship to play for Stanford and also played in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals. Rideaux attended USC and spent time with the Indianapolis Colts.
On Saturday, the two products of the area returned to give back.
Lunch was provided to all who attended and children even received toys such as books, dolls, and even MP3 players. The gifts were provided by A Foundation For Kids, whose goal is to alleviate the financial burden for parents during the holidays.
“This is our second year putting on this event and it just keeps getting better and better,” said Rideaux, who is now a radio analyst for 710 ESPN. “We are very fortunate to partner with A Foundation for Kids to provide these gifts for kids who would normally go without presents during the holidays.”
The non-profit Scholars and Champions is awaiting 501(c)(3) status approval, and intends to support Poly High’s athletics program. The name of the organization refers to the high school’s famous moniker, “Home of Scholars and Champions.”
