The Mountain View-Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Challenge Team recognized Bob Adams and Oscar Garcia as “2006 Challenge Team Champions for Youth” at its benefit breakfast last Thursday.
Adams, a member of the Los Altos Rotary Club, founded Partners for a New Generation, a volunteer mentoring program at Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District. Adams also helped found Alta Vista High School’s basketball program.
Garcia, a graduate of Castro School and eventually of UC Berkeley, co-founded Mesa de la Comunidad last year. Collaborating with city organizations and the school districts through Mesa, Garcia has organized a citywide soccer tournament, has planned the upcoming Mountain View Olympics event on June 4, and is working toward creating citywide after-school programs.
The Challenge Team presented a surprise award to Rich Fischer, retiring MVLA superintendent. The 130 audience members at the May 11 breakfast also watched a guest speech by Richard Santana, a former gang member turned Harvard graduate.
“I was supposed to be dead. I was supposed to be locked up, and because of someone like you, I graduated from that university,” he told the audience.
The Challenge Team is a nonprofit partnership of students, school districts, police departments and community groups organized to prevent alcohol and drug-related problems facing youth.
