Car dealers donate $40,000 to student athletes

The new car dealers on Harbor Boulevard are about to make many

Newport-Mesa Unified School District student athletes very happy.

While it will not be giving high school students shiny new rides, the

Motor Car Dealers Assn. of Costa Mesa donated $40,000 to the athletic

training program at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

The funds, raised by the association’s Dollars for Schools program,

will support and expand the training staff so that all four high schools

will have professional, certified trainers.

“These trainers play a very important role in the safety of the

student athletes in our schools,” said Jim Robins, president of the

association.

Certified trainers help prevent injuries by carefully taping athletes,

as well as teaching athletes to properly tape themselves, Robins said.

In addition to supporting the training program, the dealers have

contributed $200,000 to the district for the Youth Achievers program at

Costa Mesa High School and to help fund a computer center.