VIDEO: Organizers of the fourth annual Orange County Bomberos cornhole tournament fundraiser say the upcoming event is critical in providing scholarships to low-income youth pursuing careers in the fire service. Founders of the organization met while working with the Orange County Fire Authority. The OC Bomberos officially became a nonprofit in 2020. The president and co-founder, Gabriel Flores, said they’ve awarded 40 scholarships so far. The foundation for the nonprofit comes from teens who once had no direction, single mothers who struggled to make ends meet, sacrificing for their families and a passion for sports fueling a strong work ethic.
“I had no clue where I was going. I’m the first person in my family to go to college,” Flores said. The vice president and co-founder of the nonprofit, Andrew Robles, shared how his mother reacted to the cost of his first cadet uniform. Her look said it all, but she never complained and somehow, made it work. “I remember seeing the look on her face of like, ‘How am I going to pay for this?'” Robles said. Lee Nishanian joined the nonprofit as secretary in 2022. He said he wanted to give youth pursuing a career in the fire service the guidance sports gave him. “My motivation to play was, making sure, you know, my grades were right and you know, I was behaving at home, otherwise my parents wouldn’t let me play sports,” Nishanian said.
