Alumni Take a Leap Day Dip in New Aquatics Center
On Feb. 29, 2020, alumni ranging from Class of 1932 to 2018 took a dip in the new Anaheim High Jon Urbanchek Aquatics Center swimming pool as part of a Leap Day Swim-A-Thon. They joined 100-plus student swimmers, coaches, teachers, administrators and community members who attended the event to support the new swim program.
Anaheim High last had a competitive team in 1991, and the pool was drained in 2009, the same year the Alumni Association was formed. Once it was known the pool in out of operation, a “Bring Back the Splash” campaign was started with Jan Domene (’69) heading the effort as president of the AHSAA, and later, an AUHSD trustee, who unfortunately passed away before seeing her dream become a reality.
In December of 2019 the pool was christened with a naming ceremony for legendary AHS Coach Jon Urbanchek. A month later, new swim coach Denise Osorio was handed the keys, and six weeks later a team of swimmers began competing. A water polo team will be formed in coming months.
Since 2009, alumni have donated approximately $25,000 toward the Bring Back the Splash campaign. The Feb. 29, 2020 Leap Day Swim-A-Thon was the culmination of a decade of effort to have an operational swimming pool at Anaheim High. Congratulations to all who joined this grass roots effort to bring the amazing Anaheim High Aquatics Center to life.
Finally, thanks for all the hard work by everyone involved at the AUHSD, the construction team, the AHS staff and student body who endured two years of construction and all the neighbors surrounding Anaheim High!
Meet Anaheim’s New Swim Coach Denise Osorio
Water polo and swimming has been a passion of Anaheim High’s new swim coach, Denise Osorio, since she entered the pool at Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights.
Her father encouraged to join the school’s aquatics program because her twin brother was swimming playing water polo. She took to the water like a fish and, in her senior year, she won the league championship in the 100 butterfly.
She competed on the boys’ water polo team because there wasn’t a girls’ team until the following season, when she and three other female swimmers formed a team, the first in the school’s history.
After graduating from Los Altos in 2003, she attended Citrus College, where she swam and played water polo, breaking school records for most goals and assists. She was also named a scholar athlete and received Athlete of the Year.
Denise was offered a scholarship to play for New York’s Sienna College but opted to stay in California and attend Cal State San Bernardino. During this time she coached water polo at the high school level and was an official for high school swimming and water polo meets.
She graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in English and is currently a specialized instructional assistant at Anaheim High. She is married to Class of 2000 Colonist Rafael Osorio. They are living in Anaheim with their three children ages 7, 6 and 2 years old.
Class of 2013 Antonio Garcia Thankful for Spot on U.S. Olympic Boxing Team Trials
If you ask Anaheim boxer Antonio Garcia what he’s grateful for this Thanksgiving, his answer will be the City of Anaheim Police Department Cops 4 Kids (C4K) program.
A 2013 Anaheim High graduate, Garcia has been boxing since age 15, when he joined the Anaheim Boxing Club, a joint program of the Anaheim Community Services Department and Cops 4 Kids. He credits the mentors he’s met through the program for shaping him into the man he is today, a 165-pound super middleweight boxer who recently earned a spot in the Olympic Team Trials.
2019 has been a very good year for Garcia. Along with earning a place in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Boxing, scheduled for Dec. 7-15, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, he also won the 2019 State Golden Gloves Championship and he placed No. 2 at the 2019 National Golden Gloves.
Currently ranked No. 4 in the nation by USA Boxing, the 24-year-old elite boxer has come a long way from the teenage boy who joined the C4K Anaheim Boxing Club to defend himself from bullies.
“The program taught me the skills on how to defend myself if I was ever put in that situation. Thankfully, I have not had to use those skills,” Garcia conveyed via email.
“This program has kept me off the streets and into a productive environment where I have flourished. In the program, my health has improved tremendously,” he said. “I used to eat terribly and was a little heavier. Now, I am in control of my diet and have come down to a healthy weight.”
He’ll take a day off for Thanksgiving, but then Garcia will at the Downtown Anaheim Youth Center boxing ring training for the tryouts in Louisiana, where he will compete against “the best of the best” for a spot on Team USA Boxing at the Tokyo Olympics
“The Cops 4 Kids boxing program has impacted me greatly,” said Garcia. “I am truly grateful to have had this program in my life.”
2019 Colony Classic Car Show
The historic Anaheim High Campus came alive for the 2019 Colony Classic Car Show on Saturday, Oct. 19. ! The roar of engines, classic rock music and good conversation among fellow Colonists and classmates (some who hadn’t returned since graduating decades ago) filled the entire central court yard and surrounding open spaces. (Photos from the day are included in the slide show below. )
Presented by the Anaheim High School Alumni Association, under the direction of Board Member Debbie Vidana, this Colonist celebration raised funds for the AHSAA “Spirit Award” scholarship program. Last year the Alumni Association awarded $16,500 in scholarships and, over the past decade, has given back more than $300,000 to Anaheim High.
The Colony Classic Car Show also provided an opportunity for school clubs and programs to raise funds, while meeting Anaheim High alumni nnd hosting their neighbors, family and friends.
Along with viewing close to 100 classic cars — many owned by AHS graduates — attendees enjoyed memorabilia from the school’s 121-year history, food provided by the Anaheim Lions Club and Case Garcia Restaurant, a silent auction with fantastic prizes, many provided by City of Anaheim Councilmembers, performances by the award-winning AHS Cheer Team, and an awards ceremony with hand-crafted trophies presented to 10 classic car owners.
Winners included Best of Show winners Clint and Renee Breads for their 1937 Olds Club Coupe; Best Pre-50’s, Robert Neamy (’63), 1928 Ford Sedan; Best 60’s, Harry Rieger, 1963 Corvette Sting Ray; Best Foreign, Richard Roland, 1968 VW Karmen Ghia; Best Truck, Tony Messick, 1966 Chevy C-10 Fleetside; Best Design, Ruben Luna, 1957 Chevy Belair; Best Low-Rider, Chuy Barrera, 1960 Chevy Impala; Principal’s Choice, Clint Stark (’59), 1940 Ford Woodie; Alumni Choice, Rod Dixon, 1932 Ford 3W Coupe; People’s Choice, Basil Dahl (’58), 1959 Chevy S/W.
Without community and alumni support, the Car Show would not be possible. Extra thanks to CHAMPION sponsors Anaheim Public Utilities and the Fisher and Vary Families; LEGACY sponsors Anaheim Firefighters Association, Paul Kott Realtors represented by Jackie Garibay, and former AHSAA president and founding member Gerald Woodward (’59).
COLONY & TROPHY sponsors included Anaheim’s new Raising Cane’s, Scott (”73) & Janet Brown (’77), Patti Hirahara (’73) and Jimmy Oregel (’72). Thank you to all and enjoy these photos from the 8th AHSAA Colony Classic Car Show!
Ruby’s Fundraiser – Oct. 10-20 2019
Click here for the PDF version: Ruby’s AHS Alumni Association flyer-10-10 – 20, 2019
Anaheim High Remembers Japanese Students Displaced by WWII
The story of Japanese students ,who were unable to complete their education at Anaheim Union High School (AUHS) due to their forced relocation to WWII incarceration camps, was remembered by more than 800 attendees of an Aug. 24 event at Cook Auditorium.
“The Poston Experience – Paving the Way for the Next Generations” provided a rare opportunity to witness the testimony of Anaheim families who were incarcerated in the camps, including the mother and father of AUHS District Superintedent Mike Matsuda.
The program included remarks from special guest speaker Gania Demaree-Trotter, a 1944 graduate whose father, Dr. Paul H. Demaree, was principal of Anaheim Union High School from 1941 to 1954. Her speech garnered a standing ovation.
Attendees also viewed a documentary film presentation about the Shigekawa family, Anaheim pioneers who were represented by AHS Class of 1962 graduate Marlene Shigekawa. Marlene is president of the Poston Community Alliance and is active in preserving the legacy of the Poston, Arizona, camp where she was born.
Other panelists included Don Miyada, a WWII Congressional Gold Medal and Professor Emeritus of Clinical Chemistry at the University of California Irvine; Korean War veteran Robert M. Wada, a trailblazer in the Orange County Japanese American community; and Tom Leatherman, a representative of the National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program.
This unknown chapter of Anaheim High’s history had never been featured in a major educational event until now, according to Patti Hirahara, a Class of ’73 AHS grad who was the event coordinator and moderator. To heighten the learning experience, Patti included a musical backdrop for the event that featured recordings of songs from the Poston era performed by Anaheim Elementary School District children and popular tunes from the 1940s sang by the Anaheim High Las Sirenas Advanced Women’s Choir. The event also included a production by the AHS Dance Team entitled “Cherry Blossom.”
In addition, a new and original 10 minute documentary produced by the Anaheim Union High School District Summer Film Academy students entitled, “Remember Us: An Historic Chapter at Anaheim High School,” made its debut at “The Poston Experience” program.
In conjunction with the Anaheim High event, a City of Anaheim’s new original exhibition – “I Am An American – Japanese Incarceration in a Time of Fear,” will run from Aug. 25 through Nov. 3 at the Muzeo Museum & Cultural Center.
Here are photos from the Aug. 24 event at Anaheim High:
Educational Program by Anaheim High Alumni Designed to Preserve the Legacy of Relocated Japanese American Families
The story of Japanese and American-born students of Japanese ancestry, who were unable to complete their education at Anaheim Union High School due to their forced relocation to WWII incarceration camps, will be remembered as part of Aug. 24 admission-free event at Cook Auditorium.
Anaheim High graduates organizing “The Poston Experience – Paving the Way for the Next Generations” say this unique program will illustrate how the stories of minority students from 75 years ago are strikingly similar to experiences faced by many of today’s generation.
The 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. program will offer a rare opportunity to hear special guest speaker Gania Demaree-Trotter, a 1944 graduate whose father, Dr. Paul H. Demaree, was principal of Anaheim Union High School from 1941 to 1954.
Cook Auditorium was a second home for Gania, who was a performing arts student and, later, a music teacher at her alma mater. Her return to the Cook stage is an occasion being celebrated and embraced by Anaheim High alumni, especially her students from the 1950s.
To preserve the legacy of these Japanese and Japanese-American students, the majority of whom were sent to Poston, Arizona, this two-hour program will feature Orange County leaders who went to Poston during WWII, as well as a special presentation about an Anaheim pioneer family represented by AHS Class of 1962 graduate Marlene Shigekawa. Marlene will talk about her family and her work in preserving the legacy of the Poston, Arizona camp where she was born.
Other panelists include Don Miyada, Robert M. Wada, and Tom Leatherman, who is representing the National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program.
This unknown chapter has never been featured in a major educational event until now, according to Patti Hirahara, a Class of ’73 AHS grad who is the event coordinator and moderator.
To heighten the learning experience, recordings of songs from the Poston era and popular tunes from the 1940s will provide a musical backdrop for the event. Performers include Anaheim Elementary School District children and the Anaheim High Las Sirenas Advanced Women’s Choir.
In addition, a new and original 10 minute documentary produced by the Anaheim Union High School District Summer Film Academy students entitled, “Remember Us: An Historic Chapter at Anaheim High School, will make its debut at “The Poston Experience” program.
For a nominal fee, persons who attend the August 24th morning program will be given an opportunity to be part of a sneak preview of the City of Anaheim’s new original exhibition – “I Am An American – Japanese Incarceration in a Time of Fear,” which will run from Aug. 25 through Nov. 3 at the Muzeo Museum & Cultural Center.
For further information e-mail: anaheimalumni@yahoo.com or phone: (714) 392-2103. The event can also be found on Facebook @AZPostonAHS.
Oscar Gonzalez Brings Heart Back Home to AHS
Home is where the heart is and, for Class of 2001 Colonist Oscar Gonzalez, his heart is back home in Room 66 on the Anaheim High campus, where he is starting a new role as dance director for the 2019-20 class year and beyond.
Oscar began dancing at Anaheim High under instructor Meg Elder, who recently retired after a 35-year career.
His Anaheim dance experience also includes performing with the Anaheim Ballet and at Disneyland in “Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular.”
His horizons expanded when he moved to New York to study at the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School. While in New York, Oscar also trained a summer with the American Ballet Theater, which is considered one of the greatest dance companies in the world.
His ballet credits include, Cinderella, Napoli, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Nutcracker and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
In addition to ballet, Oscar is formally trained in jazz, lyrical, modern and contemporary dance styles. He has displayed his talents in numerous professional musical theater productions, including Hello Dolly, West Side Story, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, A Chorus Line, Evita and has been a principal in The Glory of Christmas at the Crystal Cathedral.
His dancing has also taken him across the globe to perform for the grand opening of the King Abdulah University of Science and Technology in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
His passion for teaching and sharing his art with young people led him to working internationally as a dance coach and choreographer, including a stop in Cape Town, South Africa, where he created a dance intensive for students from age 6 to 25.
Back home in Anaheim, he taught dance at Anaheim High for several years as a walk-on coach. He also gained extensive experience as the ballet director at McCoy Rigby Conservatory of the Arts in La Mirada, and at Smitty’s Performing Arts Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
Throughout his travels and adventures, Oscar continued his education to earn his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from St. Mary’s College of California. He is currently working on his master’s degree in education.
Oscar said he is “beyond grateful” for the opportunity to teach dance at Anaheim High. “To go back to my roots and to be able to give back to Anaheim High has so much meaning for me,” he said. “Room 66 has been a home for so many, and now I get the chance to make it my home and a new home to many more artists.”
