Community Corner

Corona del Mar Woman Donates $500K to Girls Inc.

Gena Reed's $500,000 gift to Girls Inc. of Orange County will help fund scholarships for young girls in Orange County.

A Corona del Mar woman has donated $500,000 to Girls Inc. of Orange County, to inspire young girls to go to college and enter fields of their choice, the non-profit announced Thursday.

Gena Reed, a past president of the organization’s board of directors, presented the $500,000 check to Girls Inc. at their annual “Day of Gratitude” donor recognition luncheon hosted in Santa Ana. The donation was made in the memory of Gena Reed’s late husband, Nick Reed, who passed away last year after battling cancer. 

"I support Girls Incorporated because I've seen the transformation of the young girls and women that complete their programs,” Reed said. “They are exposed to science, math, technology and other fields that are traditionally thought of as male oriented. These young women ‘graduate’ from Girls Inc. knowing that they can choose their career and go to college." 

 The gift from the Gena & Nick Reed Family Trust will be used specifically for scholarships for elementary programs at the Costa Mesa-based Youth & Family Center and for college scholarships for girls who have participated in Girls Inc.’s high school programming.   

“This is an amazing day for the girls of Orange County,” said Lucy Santana, CEO of Girls Inc. of Orange County, in a released statement. “Because of Gena’s generosity, we’ll be able to serve even more girls and inspire them to be strong, smart, and bold.”

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