UNITED FIREFIGHTERS OF LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE FOUNDATION

WINTER 2023 AWARDEES

We are proud to announce the recipients of the latest round of UFLAC Education Grant Award winners for the Winter of 2023. Congratulations to all the awardees, who will be receiving their letters today, and inviting them to the January General Membership meeting for a special presentation.

For this cycle, we are proud to be awarding 8 children and two spouses of UFLAC members with education grants. In addition, for this round of grants we received six applications from Maui Fire Department members, or their dependents, who lost their homes in the horrific 2023 Maui Fire.

After consideration of a motion, the Executive Board unanimously voted to award all six Maui Firefighters with a $2,000 grant to assist them and their families during a very tough time.

$4,000 Award Winners

  • Celeste C Aguirre, daughter of Victor Aguirre, LAFD. High School student, accepted to nursing program.
  • Carson D. Fox, son of Jeff D. Fox, LAFD. High School student, pursuing a career in Kinesiology.
$2,000 Award Winners
  • Dev Kumar, son of Nitin Kumar, LAFD. High school student, pursuing a career as a pilot.
  • Autumn E. Verwey, daughter of Eric M. Verwey, LAFD, High school student, pursuing a career in forensic science.
  • Katherine M. Cordaro, daughter of Kenneth W. Cordaro, LAFD. High school student, pursuing a career in sociology. Military Veteran funds awarded from the Tech Sgt Jack Kushner Retd Foundation.
  • Samatha K. Martinez, daughter of Vince C. Martinez, LAFD. College student, pursuing a career in education foundation. Military Veteran funds awarded from the Tech Sgt Jack Kushner Retd Foundation.
$1,000 Award Winners
  • Isabella S Porretta, daughter of Alexender Porretta, LAFD. High school student, pursuing a career in film production.
  • Jacob V Foster, son of Vincent V Foster, LAFD. High school student, pursuing a career in Psychology Pre-med Track.
  • Maura A Ruiz, spouse of Andrew Ruiz, LAFD. College student, pursuing career in Speech Language Pathology.
  • Kathleen A Urrea, spouse of Julian Urrea, LAFD. College student, pursuing a career in Law.

Additional $2,000 Awards for Maui Firefighters 

Each of the following recipients are Maui Firefighters who lost their homes in the devastating 2023 fire. Their families have all been displaced and have been deeply impacted by this tragedy.

Ikaika Neizman
Jonathan Varona
Joseph U Bingham
Steven E O’Donnell 
Josh Gruber
Chad C Johnson

Please visit our website at www.uflacff.org for more information and stay tuned for the announcement of the next round of scholarships for the 2024 Summer disbursement.

Special thank you to the main Education Grant sponsors & our supporters!

Major Sponsors:

  • Matthew and Miho Blumkin – The Blumkin Family Foundation
  • Matt McNicholas – McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP
  • Ed Avaness – Miller Kaplan
  • Jennifer Lincicum – Fickewirth
  • Aaron Straussner & Julie Sherman – Staussner Sherman Lonné Treger Helquist
  • UFLAC Fire Foundation
  • Brian and Mary Ann Hishinuma – Retired – LAFD
  • Chris Wann – UFLAC
  • Tech SGT Jack Kushner Ret’d Foundation, Inc.
  • Marian Hishinuma
  • Gold Lee – Lewis, Marenstein, Sherwin & Lee
  • Danny Evans – ETHIKA

Supporters:

  • Jimmy Blackman & Associates
  • Sandra Jackson – Greenspan Co./Adjusters International
  • Maria Riggs – UFLAC
  • Karina Youssef – UFLAC

Summer 2023 Awardees

The following individuals were presented with their scholarships at the General Membership meeting on August 29th, 2023:

$2,000 Award Winners
Aidan J. Byrne
Cailla L. Esparza

$1,000 Award Winners
Deslyn J. Stiles
Kylie D. Elizarraras
Maya L. Matthews
Taylor J. Brown

$500 Award Winners
Ava M. Parra
Fiona C. O’Connor
Kyler G. Linton
Michael T. Cantrell

APPRECIATION COMMENTS FROM OUR GRANT RECIPIENTS OF SUMMER 2023

Winter 2022 Awardees

The following individuals were presented with their scholarships at the General Membership meeting on January 25th, 2023:

$2,000 Award Winners
Brandon S. Smith
Dean E. Hirsch

$1,000 Award Winners
Kayla J. Ferreras
Sarah G. Kemp
Roy W. Egizi
Katlyn P. Hamm

$500 Award Winners
Jordan T. Handy
Ashlyn D. Quinn
Luke K. Vargas
Emily S. Arellano
Tyler L. Serrano
Isabella N. Fortini
Leanne E. Grant
Presley E. Jones
Matt Pritchard


Summer 2022 Awardees

On August 24, 2022, the UFLAC Fire Foundation announced another round of scholarship award winners. These individuals come from local firefighter families and they applied for UFLAC Fire Foundation scholarships to assist in their educational and career pursuits.

The following individuals were presented with their scholarships at the General Membership meeting:

$2,000 Award Winners
Tristan G Kennedy
Jared T Steinman

$1,000 Award Winners
Adrienne L Walker
Aidan J Byrne
Caitlyn N Connolly
Luke H Taggart

$500 Award Winners
Leia C Alvarado
Jake D Petersen
Hadley M Goodwin
Austin D Ladd


Winter 2021 Awardees

On January 26, 2022, the UFLAC Fire Foundation awarded 10 Education and Support Grants at the General Membership Meeting. The Grants are awarded two times per year but due to staffing issues and COVID the awards could not be presented until January 2022. Selection for the awards are based on the essay submitted with emphasis on need, sincerity and service to others. The awardees included individuals who were pursuing higher education and training to pursue new careers. The UFLAC Foundation proudly present the following Awardees:

$2,000 Award Winners
Niani R Shields
Brandon Smith

$1,000 Award Winners
Jackson D Fox
Cierra D Garfield
Connor Spencer
Tavora M Valenzuela

$500 Award Winners
Aidan J Byrne
Nicholas Rodgers
Sarah Ponce
Makena D Murillo

Summer 2021 Awardees

$2,000 Award Winners
Taylor A Escobar
Matt David Pritchard

$1,000 Award Winners
Carrie J Kehoe
Antonia S Felix
Serena S Nettles
Lael G Williams

$500 Award Winners
Kylie D Elizarraras
Tatiana A. Johnson
Austin D Ladd
Francesca M Lauro
Rebecca Lee
Payton Springer
Maverick D Teter

Congratulations to the Awardees!