Car Dealers in Costa Mesa Giving $50,000 More to Area High Schools

    COSTA MESA, Calif.--Oct. 24, 2001--Corona del Mar High School and Estancia High School will benefit from the third major gift from the Dollars for Schools Program, which is sponsored by the automobile dealers known as the Harbor Boulevard of Cars in Costa Mesa.
    The announcement was made at last night's Newport-Mesa School Board meeting. The new car dealers in Costa Mesa are contributing $50,000 to the Newport Mesa Schools Foundation and dividing the gift equally between the two high schools. This brings total funds contributed to $150,000 since the program's inception.
    Corona del Mar High School will receive $20,000 for its Career & College Center and $5,000 to establish a new Math Clinic for after-school enrichment. Corona del Mar's Career & College Center provides counseling for college searches, applications, and financial aid applications, and coordinates college representative visits. The Center also conducts such successful programs as Mentor-for-a-Day, Career Day Meetings, and Pathways for Success, which brings business speakers to campus. The new Math Clinic will be a tutorial program available afternoons and evenings with a goal of increasing math SAT scores at the school.
    Estancia High School will receive $25,000 to purchase two athletic scoreboards to serve the football, soccer, track and baseball teams at the school. The new scoreboards will provide more information for the enjoyment of students, their families, and their fans.
    Harbor Boulevard of Cars president Jim Robins of Theodore Robins Ford made the announcement at the School Board meeting. According to Robins, "The dealers recognize the importance of education in our community and support the Newport-Mesa District's mission to graduate students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to achieve success in our society. The Dollars for Schools Program is intended to fund significant resource acquisition and facility improvements to enhance quality education in the district."
    The Motor Car Dealers Association of Costa Mesa, commonly called the Harbor Boulevard of Cars, achieved over $650 million in new and used car sales in 2000. Association members invest more than $10 million annually in local advertising to attract customers to the dealerships on Harbor Boulevard.
    Annual sales volume by the Harbor Boulevard of Cars dealers generates about $51 million in sales tax for California with an estimated $6.5 million in sales tax returned to local governments.