It’s pretty typical that the Sanchez Family do everything together.
The tight knit bunch was an integral part in the success of the most famous of the Sanchez bunch, Mark.
Mark Sanchez, New York Jets quarterback and former USC standout, along with his family, was honored Saturday by the Hollenbeck Youth Center, an organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of under privileged youth in the Los Angeles area.
Sanchez’s commitment to the Inner City Games, Hollenbeck’s marquee program, started well before he donned the green and white uniform for New York. He spent many hours volunteering his time with the youth of Hollenbeck during his years as a backup QB for the Trojans. “I would go over to the toy drive around Christmas time because I didn’t have any money back then and I would donate my time and give out toys and hang out with the kids, “ Sanchez said. “ Now being as blessed as I am, my family and I we just felt so dedicated to this organization and these kids.”
Hollenbeck’s Inner City Games reaches beyond the Los Angeles boundaries involving hundreds of thousands of youth across the country with programs focusing on positive athletic competition and education. And with Sanchez’s commitment, the organization will be able to expand programming to serve a growing number of young people.
Sanchez dedication to Hollenbeck also garnered him another honor last year when he was named the 2009 recipient of the Inner-City Games and Hollenbeck Youth Center’s Amigo de los Niño’s Award.
Started by a group of business leaders in the East Los Angeles Community who partnered with the Hollenbeck Division of the LAPD, the goal was to help at-risk youth from pursuing a life of crime in the violence-laden streets of East Los Angeles. With the help and presence of many influential and powerful political leaders including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles City Council Member Bernard Parks, The Hollenbeck Youth Center continues its mission of serving today’s youth while working for a better and brighter future.
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For more information on the Hollenbeck Youth Center, visit www.hollenbeckpbc.org.
