By Greg Archer | Contributing Columnist
The late Aaron Norris once noted that if you’re going to serve, you’re going to give something — “your time, talent, and treasure, and that all three are equal.”
Now, the resilient Riverside change agent’s words are being brought to life.
A few years ago, after being diagnosed with Stage 4 Intimal Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, Norris created The Aaron Norris Creative Fund to support arts programs in the Inland Empire. The fund was established in 2022.
After battling cancer for 18 months, Norris, a valued community member and successful businessman, died July 1, 2022.
The fund is made possible via Inland Empire Community Foundation and benefits Norris’s affinity with the arts, most notably his dedication to the Give Big Riverside campaign, raising almost $1 million for charities in Riverside County.
“Aaron would always be presenting or hosting,” said Joey Romero, who oversees the fund. “He would always present marketing for nonprofits because he was in the public relations space, too. He wanted to teach nonprofits how to get their message out and how to market themselves better. When he passed, just like how he lived, he wanted to give back, and continue making an impact even when he was gone.”
After several years, the fund has grown considerably, and, Romero said, “it was time to start putting Aaron’s dream into action.”
On July 1 of this year, Romero and other supporters of the fund, held a kick-off event for the inaugural Aaron Norris Creative Fund Grants and Scholarship Awards, hosted by Riverside Arts Academy at the Cesar Chavez Community.
“We actually lost Aaron on July 1, 2022,” Romero shares. “I wanted to change the tone of that day to something great emerging from his vision and his desires.”
The event was kicked off by announcing two $1,500 scholarships offered to Riverside Poly High School students pursuing the arts in college.
“We did that at Poly because that’s where Aaron graduated from,” Romero said. “After those scholarships were awarded, Riverside Children’s Theater came out and performed three songs from their production this year, ‘Mary Poppins.’ It was great to experience 6- to 13-year-olds singing memorable tunes from the show.”
Following the performance, the theater company was presented with a check for $5,000. But there were more scholarships handed out.
Twelve scholarships were awarded to students at Riverside Arts Academy.
“Riverside Arts Academy has an endowment that for every $25,000, they can guarantee one scholarship in perpetuity,” Romero said. “So rather than just put all the eggs in one basket by saying, ‘OK, we can give this much money,’ I thought, ‘What if we just donate 12 of those?’ That would be almost like the equivalent of an endowment of $300,000.”
“So, we decided to do six scholarships for students from Alvord Unified School District, and six from Riverside Unified School District,” he said. “Now, because of the Aaron Norris Creative Fund, 12 kids will be attending school on full scholarship.”
Romero’s ties to Norris run deep, having worked side by side with him for years, either volunteering or collaborating, or working on Give Big Riverside.
“It seemed like any time there was a big event that he wanted help, I’d help,” he said. “Our friendship grew from there. I knew Aaron probably better than anybody.”
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For a look at Norris’s unwavering spirit, his 2020 TEDx Talk, “The Story of My Life,” offers an inspiring kick. The man created a unique legacy of positivity, love, and light.
Fittingly, Romero is quick to note that thanks to the great response to this year’s inaugural event, plans for a larger committee are being considered. The goal: to distribute more scholarships in the years to come.
Learn more about The Aaron Norris Creative Fund at iegives.org/funds/aaron-norris-creative-fund/.
The Inland Empire Community Foundation works to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy. Visit iegives.org.
