Olympic gold medal winner and Hermosa Beach resident Eric Fonoimoana will host the Summer Celebration 2002 fund-raiser that will benefit two charity groups. Both groups support underprivileged children living in Los Angeles County by providing them with more opportunities in academic and athletic achievement.

The fund-raising effort will assist Fonoimoana’s nonprofit organization, the Dig For Kids Foundation, along with the Southern California Foundation for Children, founded by his friend, Hermosa Beach resident Bill Sigler.

Scheduled for April 25 at Sangria restaurant, the semi-formal evening will feature a bachelor and bachelorette auction, live entertainment, cocktails and appetizers, an art exhibit, door prizes, a silent auction and a fashion show.

Fonoimoana, Sigler and Dig For Kids Vice President Albert Hannemann hope to raise at least $35,000. The money will aid the Dig For Kids Foundation by funding an after-school program that promotes volleyball training and academic tutoring in low-income communities. The SCFC will use the funds to provide at-risk youth with scholarships and mentor programs.

“Volleyball has provided me with many opportunities, including a chance to represent the United States in the Sydney Olympics,” said Fonoimoana. “As a role model, I want to teach children the importance of a good education and the sport I love, volleyball.”

Sigler also said that improving the lives of children is the main goal.

“I want to help create a better environment for these kids by

helping them to turn their lives into something positive,” said Sigler.

Founded in the spring of 2000, Dig For Kids helps both middle-school and high-school athletes, in conjunction with the many Boys & Girls Clubs located in low-income cities.

Fonoimoana piloted a program in the city of Carson, where more than 100 students participated in weekly classes where professional players and volunteer tutors taught volleyball technique and helped with schoolwork.

The program spanned a 10-week period. The high school-based program provides volleyball players living in these same cities with new game uniforms, nets and volleyballs in exchange for their expertise with the middle-school program.

“These children need to understand that doing well in school needs to be their first priority,” explained Hannemann. “Academic discipline is necessary to play the sport well.”

The pilot was a tremendous success and the foundation has since then raised more than $130,000 by organizing five other 10-week after-school programs, reaching out to 450 students. The staff — consisting of about 25 professional volleyball players, 160 high school players and 20 tutors — has taught the basic skills of volleyball to more than 4,500 kids.

Fonoimoana, 32, and his then-partner Dain Blanton won the gold medal in the beach volleyball competition at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. The city of Hermosa Beach hosted a public ceremony to honor Fonoimoana’s accomplishments which gave him the chance to sign dozens of autographs in exchange for donations to his charity.

Fonoimoana, a Mira Costa High School alumnus, graduated from UCSB and joined the AVP tour circuit in 1993.

Dig For Kids recently provided the Carson High School volleyball team with practice clothing and game uniforms in exchange for its help in teaching younger middle-school students the fundamentals of the game. The team also earned its first league championship in the school’s history.

The foundation also awards the yearly Excellence in Volleyball & Academics Scholarship to a female and male college-bound senior who has exhibited outstanding athletic and academic accomplishments. The foundation has also coordinated a club volleyball team for kids who are serious about pursuing a career in volleyball and would benefit from year-round competition.

“As many coaches know, few college recruiters look at low-income schools because students don’t have the resources to participate in intensive club team sports,” explained Fonoimoana. “DFK’s team represents a group of dedicated student athletes who are willing to work hard and aim for collegiate-level play. I think soon enough recruiters will be looking at these cities for new talent.”

The nonprofit group’s goal is to run eight after-school programs each year. The program will help between 60 and 100 students and cost about $55,000 over a 10-week period.

Those interested in attending the Summer Celebration fund-raiser should call Andrea Goodson at 798-0709 or Fonoimoana at 372-7249.