Achievement Council to honor Santa Maria man

Willie Galvan of Santa Maria will be honored Oct. 12 at the Santa Barbara Hispanic Achievement Council's 24th Annual Awards Banquet at the Biltmore Hotel in Santa Barbara.

Galvan is the state commander of the American GI Forum of California, a national organization for Hispanics, veterans and families. He has provided employment for youth at the GI Forum Fair food booth during the week of the fair for more than 25 years.

From 1986 through 1994, he organized and implemented a youth boxing program called “Pride Gym.” He has supervised youth under the Santa Barbara County Schools Summer Youth Program for more than 10 years, and founded the Northwest Health Center, later to become the Marian Community Clinic, in 1993.

More recently, he has worked on a committee to get Proposition 10 tobacco money for North County children from birth to 5 years old. He worked for Marian Community Clinics for 10 years until he retired on April 30.

He now sits on the Catholic Charities Advisory Board of Santa Maria and still serves as the state commander for the American GI Forum of California.

Also at the awards banquet, the 100th birthday of UCSB Professor Emeritus Luis Leal will be celebrated, and Cal Poly SLO Journalism Department Chairman George Ramos will be honored.

For banquet reservations and additional information, call 966-0188.

October 8, 2007