Wealth management firm Moreno, Peelen, Pinto & Clark hosted its second MPC ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Touchdown Breakfast on Wednesday, April 29, to help raise money toward an academic support center for ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ athletes.
Four of the five partners in the firm are ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ alumni, including Christina Pinto, β86; Lisa-Moreno Haramboure, β89; Tony Moreno Jr., β91, who also serves on the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Foundation Board of Directors; and Rob Clark, β94. The firmβs other partner, Scott Peelen, graduated from Michigan State, but he was easily adopted as a member of their ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ family, especially since his daughter, Sarah, is a current ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ student, and he attends all of the football games.
The breakfast took place at the Alfond Inn in Winter Park, with many prominent community figures in attendance β including members of the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Board of Trustees, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Foundation Board of Directors and ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Alumni Association Board of Directors, as well as Orange County commissioners, current and former mayors, and one of the forefathers of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½, Charlie Gray.
Knightro and some of the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Cheerleaders kicked off the morning with a cheer, followed by opening remarks from Peelen. WESH 2 Sports Anchor Pat Clarke hosted the remainder of the event, reminiscing about when ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs football program first started, and how he used to be able to park his Mustang under the Citrus Bowl stands. He commended then-Coach Gene McDowell on taking the program from Division II to Division I-AA, as well as current Head Coach George OβLeary on his βculture of winningβ and βculture of learning.β He concluded with aΒ videoΒ showcasing this seasonβs ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Footballβs key players before introducing Todd Stansbury, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs athletic director, who stepped in to speak for OβLeary, who had to cancel his appearance due to a minor medical issue.
βWhen George meets with recruits,β Stansbury said, βhe only guarantees them one thing β that theyβll graduate. He demands excellence, and thatβs what he gets.β
In fact, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ is No. 3 in the nation for graduating 90 percent of its football players, and is No. 1 in the nation for graduating 95 percent of all its student-athletes combined.
βA lot of people think weβre in the entertainment business,β Stansbury continued. βWeβre really in the education business. Our mission is to provide opportunity to young people and develop future leaders. Our job is to use sport to prepare them to compete.β
While there were plenty of laughs, including an anecdote from Clarke about Peelenβs former reporting skills, the morning was really about supporting ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs athletes and their academic endeavors. Moreno, Peelen, Pinto & Clark pledged to match gifts up to the first $10,000 raised.
βOne of the things weβve noticed is the quality of the students graduating from ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½,β Moreno Jr. says. βIn fact, we just hired another ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ alumnus through the internship program. Weβre very proud of the high ranking ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ maintains for graduating athletes.β
Want to help make the academic support center a reality? Contact Chris Huff, associate athletics director of development and executive director of the Golden Knights Club, atΒ CHuff@athletics.ucf.eduΒ or 407.823.2205.