When asked what the biggest donation the Venice High Alumni Association has ever given, the association’s president Grant Francis said “ The Venice High scholarships would have to be the biggest amount of money we have ever given. Last year we gave $135,000 to 28 students!”

He took a moment to think and added, “There have even been times, when we were able to pay all four years of the student’s university.”  

The Alumni Association gets its money from annual payments on the pavers in front of the Myrna Loy statue.  A whole paver costs $1000 and half of one costs $500. Francis also mentioned that a lot of alumni donate to the school.

An alumni by the name of Fred Aves helped start the scholarship fund. Aves had a lot of property in Venice, and after selling all of it, he gave Venice High money to start woodshop scholarships. Later the association developed the Venice Alumni fund, in order to give students money for college.

Another way that the Alumni Association donates to the school is by sending letters to all of the school’s teachers, asking them to apply for grants. In the past year, 20 teachers were able to receive donations from the association. Francis said that this process is called “Excellence in education.” The association likes to give teachers money or supplies based on how well they state how they would use the money.  They give teachers between $5000 and $10,000.

When asked what he thought made Venice so special, he replied “I think, our clubs and sports are the biggest thing. Our school activities are the things that make students want to come to school.”  Francis is saddened that the enrollment rate is declining.

These ongoing traditions and support are  a legacy that Francis hopes to continue.

    The Alumni Association has a house named Champion Easton which can be visited at 2435 Walgrove Blvd. on the  second Saturday of each month 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Artifacts such as old newspapers and yearbooks dating back to 1916 can be found at the house.

   Lastly, Francis said “ We are always willing to donate to the school, whether it’s for teachers or the alumni scholarships. “We love giving back to the school.”