Team Player
University of California, Irvine Athletics has received a gift of $5 million to further bolster its baseball program. The donation, the largest in the history for UC Irvine Athletics, comes from Steve and Linda Borowski to found and name a new player development center.
Borowski, president (ret.) and co-founder, Aristotle Capital Management, co-founder and managing partner, Metropolitan West Capital Management LLC, and managing director, Palley Needelman Asset Management Inc., pitched for the UCI Anteaters from 1976 to 1979. He has been a UC Irvine trustee since the return of the baseball program in 2002.
“I’ve been involved with UC Irvine baseball for nearly 50 years. What makes you return are the people – the coaches, staff and student-athletes. It’s much more than what takes place between the lines. It’s people who will have an impact on each other and on their communities long after,” Borowski said. “It’s an honor to have our family name associated with this program for many years to come.”
Holiday Wishes
Kia America provided holiday gifts for 20 households to help alleviate the added pressures of the season for local families as a part of Families Forward’s annual Holiday Wish program. Kia volunteers also spent a day at the Families Forward headquarters placing the final touches on presents and distributing gifts to client families.
“This year, our Holiday Wish program is set to serve nearly 800 families as parents are experiencing greater challenges and needing to prioritize food and shelter over holiday gifts for their children,” said Madelynn Hirneise, CEO of Families Forward. “With Kia America’s continued partnership, we are working closer to bring our vision of an Orange County where everyone has a home and the opportunity to thrive to life.”
In 2024, Kia America donated $100,000 to Families Forward through its Accelerate for Good initiative in support of the organization’s mission to prevent and end family homelessness in Orange County. The funds contribute to several areas, including providing grants and the food pantry.
Sage Expansion
Sage Hill School held a groundbreaking ceremony Dec. 12 for its new middle school and second gymnasium building. The event was hosted by Mike Bolen, board chair, McCarthy Building Companies Inc., chair, board of trustees, Sage Hill School, and Patricia Merz, head of school, Sage Hill School. Construction is scheduled to start soon with the support of key partners, including LPA Design Studios; Snyder Langston; and Westling & Associates. Sage Hill, currently a 9th through 12th grade school, plans to open the doors to the inaugural 7th and 8th grade classes in the fall of 2026.
“When Sage Hill was founded 25 years ago, it was built on a bold idea: That education has the power to transform lives and nurture future leaders,” said Merz. “Today, we take that bold idea one step further.”
Officials said the plan to add the middle school was part of the original vision when the school was first built in 2000.
The planned 38,658-square-foot building will provide classrooms, office space and a café for a middle school program that educates students in 7th and 8th grades. This project, which is funded in part by Sage School’s $25 million capital campaign that was launched in 2023, also includes a second gymnasium that will feature seating for at least 1,000 spectators and space to accommodate large events and multiple athletic competitions at the same time, benefiting both middle and upper school students. In addition to the building’s construction, the capital campaign seeks to strengthen Sage Hill’s student body with an increased commitment to tuition assistance.
Bits & Pieces
The Shea Center for Therapeutic Riding expressed gratitude for grants received in 2024 from several Orange County organizations, including American Honda Motor Co. Inc, Assistance League of Laguna Beach, Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc., The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation, Cox Charities, Crean Foundation, Edwards Lifesciences, Frome Family Foundation and Stater Bros Charities, which will support the nonprofit’s mission to empower disabled individuals through the transformative power of equine-assisted services, including physical, occupational and speech therapies, adaptive riding, mental health care, team building and personal development … Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAP OC) hosted its 26th MLK Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 20, welcoming more than 1,000 volunteers from organizations including PNC Bank and 100 Black Men of Orange County who worked together to package approximately 11,600 food boxes for local families and seniors in need … CORE Athletics hosted a weeklong athletic camp from Jan. 13-17 for 66 children from 39 families that lost their homes in the Palisades fire.
