Santa Ana College gets $200K donation to launch Centennial Campaign

Picture: (From left to right) Santa Ana College (SAC) student Jhon Hererra, SAC student Rocio Telumbre, SAC donor Allan Fainbarg, SAC donor Sandy Fainbarg, and SAC student Rebekah Adkisson celebrate the Fainbarg’s gift of $200,000 to the college’s Centennial Scholarship Campaign.

For Immediate Release: January 31, 2013
Contact: Judy Iannaccone, Director, Communications, Phone: (714) 480-7503, E-mail: iannaccone_judy@rsccd.edu

Santa Ana College Gets $200,000 Donation to Launch Centennial Campaign
*Scholarship Campaign Supports Access and Completion*

(Santa Ana)—The Santa Ana College (SAC) Foundation Board of Directors announces a $200,000 gift, one of the initial donations, to kick off its Centennial Scholarship Campaign. The goal of the campaign, which celebrates the college’s 100th anniversary in 2015, is to build a new scholarship endowment and increase the overall support for scholarships for deserving and high-need students.

“By starting with 100 more scholarships to lead Santa Ana College students into the next century, the Advancement Office is building a new level of support that will continue for the next 100 years,” said Christina Romero, SAC Foundation director.

The gift was made by Newport Beach residents Allan and Sandy Fainbarg. Allan, a 1940 graduate of Santa Ana College, moved to Santa Ana at age one when his parents relocated to Southern California from Detroit. His early schooling was in Santa Ana. He attended Jefferson Grammar School, Willard Junior High School and Santa Ana High School. After high school, he enrolled in Santa Ana Junior College, then located at 1010 N. Main Street.

“I was a ‘C’ student in high school. I could not have gotten into any other school,” he said. “In fact, I dropped out of high school for one year when I was 17, and in 1937, I spent one year traveling with the Sea Scouts collecting exotic animals for the San Diego Zoo. When I returned, I finished high school and then I went on to Santa Ana College while I was still living with my family.”

After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Allan graduated from University of Southern California (USC) in 1947. A USC classmate recommended that he consider buying war surplus goods, which he did. After accumulating sufficient stock, he opened the Santa Ana Army & Navy Store in downtown Santa Ana and sales went through the roof. His first retail venture became the basis of a retail and real estate empire that grew to include 24 Wild West Stores located throughout California. In 1981, he sold the chain to General Mills.
“Most of my customers were Latino, and I knew they needed financial help to stay in school. They helped me make my living and I wanted to help them get an education so that they could have better lives,” Allan said.
Later, Allan founded S&A (Sandy and Allan) Properties in Costa Mesa and entered the real estate field with a concentration of properties in downtown Santa Ana.

The Fainbargs have provided financial support to Santa Ana College for more than 20 years. Prior to the recent gift, the couple’s donations to the college include a $100,000 scholarship, which is administered by the SAC Foundation. Allan, who was inducted into the SAC Alumni Hall of Fame in 1999, is also a member of the President’s Circle.

“Mr. Fainbarg’s financial generosity has made it possible for many students to attend Santa Ana College and to transfer to other institutions of higher education,” said Romero.

The Centennial Scholarship Campaign, “Supporting Access and Completion for the Next 100 Years,” is a three-year “100 for the 100th” fundraising drive. The foundation is seeking gifts at various levels, including:

• Major gifts of $100,000 or more
• Endowed gifts of $25,000 or more
• Invested gifts of $10,000 or more
• Annual gifts of $1,000 or more
• General Centennial Fund gifts at any level

“The foundation board of directors has committed to match Centennial Scholarship Campaign gifts of $25,000 and above,” said Romero. “Consequently, the Fainbarg’s donation will impact twice as many students. Their generosity makes it possible for 16 additional students to receive a $1,000 scholarship every year.”
In addition to the Fainbarg’s gift, Dennis Farrell has made a $10,000 gift to the campaign. Farrell, a 1971 SAC graduate, was inducted into the college’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 2007. He has served as commissioner of the Big West Conference for 21 years. The conference encompasses nine premier California academic institutions with competition in 17 sports.

The community that surrounds Santa Ana College has a concentration of families living below the poverty level. According to the U.S. Census, 19.5 percent of Santa Ana’s population is below the poverty level, while that figure is 14.4 percent statewide and 15 percent nationally.

“Full-time enrollment fees for California community colleges are currently $1,104 annually,” said Kristin Crellin, executive director of school and community relations for SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union and president of the SAC Foundation Board of Directors. “That may not seem a lot, but for our students, many who juggle jobs and a family, this amount presents a roadblock to completing their higher education and may even cause them to drop out of college. These new scholarships are an absolute godsend.”

For more information about the Centennial Scholarship Campaign, please contact the SAC Foundation at (714) 564-6091 or foundation@sac.edu.

About the Santa Ana College Foundation

The Santa Ana College Foundation is committed to ensuring that no student is denied educational opportunities due to financial constraints. The foundation strives to maintain, expand and enhance the educational opportunities at Santa Ana College and to link community organizations, businesses, funding sources, alumni and staff preserving “A History of Success, A Future of Promise.”

About Santa Ana College

Santa Ana College (SAC), which will turn 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, provides invaluable workforce training, and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 13,000 students are served through the college’s School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation’s top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. Visit www.sac.edu to learn more.

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