Boys And Girls Club Of Oxnard

Bunnin gives back in a big way

Leo Bunnin, far right, handed over the keys of a Dodge Durango to Daniel Diaz, second from right, the Youth of the Year at the Boys & Girls Club of Oxnard and Port Hueneme. On hand for the presentation were, from left, Tim Blaylock, chief professional officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Oxnard and Port Hueneme, Cody Bowen, teen youth center director at the club, and Linda Ortega, Diaz’s mother.

It’s no secret that when it comes to underprivileged children in Ventura County or highly motivated high school students planning their future, Leo Bunnin has a soft spot in his heart. In good economic times and in bad, Bunnin continues to give back to the communities he serves.

Nonprofit youth organizations like Support for the Kids and the children at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oxnard/Port Hueneme, Moorpark and Conejo Valley-Las Virgenes all have benefited from his generosity and fundraising ability.

This past spring marked the seventh year of donating a car to Rio Mesa’s Safe and Sober after prom party, where another lucky and deserving senior won a car. In March of this year, even with the expense of opening his new Chevrolet dealership in Culver City, Bunnin found a way to sponsor a brand new scoreboard for Culver City Little League.

And last month a fundraising tri-tip barbecue held at the Bunnin GM Supercenter in Oxnard raised much needed funds for a local school’s athletic program. “I always say it’s not how much you give, but that you give,” said Bunnin, owner of the Bunnin Automotive Group that consists of five dealerships in Ventura County and Los Angeles.

So when Bunnin heard Oxnard High School student Daniel Diaz speak at the Oxnard and Port Hueneme “It Just Takes One” fundraiser kickoff breakfast earlier this spring, he wanted to help. Diaz is this year’s Youth of the Year at the club and was one of the featured speakers at the event. In front of 250 local business owners, he told of a tough life growing up without a father and trying the best he could to take care of his mother, who had just lost her job and their home. In addition to that, their car had been totaled.

Boys & Girls Clubs Of Oxnard and Port Hueneme Fundraiser Has ...

More than 7,500 youth in the Oxnard and Port Hueneme area benefit from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP) programs, which help students reach their full potential through a positive environment, lifelong learning and programs dedicated to the arts, education, character and leadership development, health and recreation. To help BGCOP deliver these important programs, the nonprofit organization is holding a Million Dollar Raffle fundraiser.

Adults can win exciting prizes like $1 million cash, a 2012 Mini Cooper, 2012 Corvette and trip to Paris, while helping our community’s youth.

There will be three early bird drawings (Sept. 24, Oct. 28, and Nov. 30) before the grand prize drawing for $1 million on Dec. 30. The good news is that early bird drawing winners can still win the grand prize. There will also be a multi-ticket drawing on Dec. 30 for people who purchased more than one ticket.

Tickets are $150 and only 19,000 will be available. With 205 prizes being awarded, odds are better than 1 in 85 of winning a prize.

Please visit www.bgcop.org/winamil to see the complete raffle rules and prize list and to purchase tickets.

You can also purchase tickets by calling toll-free 1-855-WIN-A-MIL (1-855-946-2645) or faxing a completed entry form to 1-877-757-3857.

BGCOP programs are based on physical, emotional, cultural and social needs, and are designed to expand participants’ areas of interest. Recent independent studies found that 96% of BGCOP youth graduate high school, have more confidence, do better in school and make better food and beverage choices. For more information, visit www.positiveplace4kids.org .

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