By Jelani Lindsey

Escalating tuition costs are making it more and more difficult for Inland Empire youth to attend colleges and universities. For years, the Kiwanis Club of East Rialto has awarded scholarships to deserving Inland Empire youth to financially assist these students in their pursuit of a higher education. On Friday, July 13th, the Kiwanis Club of East Rialto put on a Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana to fundraise for their scholarship program. The event was hosted by former Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and Los Angeles Raiders running back Greg Bell.

Bell has long been committed to improving the lives of youth in society. So after Rialto City Clerk and East Rialto Kiwanis Club member Barbara McGee explained to Bell the purpose of the Celebrity Golf Tournament, Bell graciously agreed to host the event. Bell states, "If you're doing something positive with kids, you generally will get Greg Bell." Not only did Bell agree to host the event, he recruited some of his former NFL colleagues to play in the Celebrity Golf Tournament. Former NFL players Reggie Doss, Ron Brown, Willie (Flipper) Anderson, Leroy Irvin, Reggie Berry, Grady Richardson, and Rick Ellis played in the Celebrity Golf Tournament along with Bell.

Some may consider Brown's background atypical for a former NFL Player. Bell grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He did not start playing football until he reached the 10th grade. In two short years, Bell's play on the football field earned him a football scholarship to the University of Norte Dame. Bell excelled on the field and in the classroom at Norte Dame. After graduating early from Norte Dame, Bell started law school at Norte Dame to maintain his eligibility to play football. For financial reasons, Bell decided to forgo his second and third years in law school after the Buffalo Bills selected him with the 26th pick in the 1st Round of the 1984 NFL Draft. Bell was named to the Pro-Bowl after his first season with the Bills. 

In 1987, Bell was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. He was awarded the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award 1988.  In the same year, Bell lost a close friend to a DUI driving accident and that tragedy propelled him into community service work. He became a prominent spokesperson against drunk driving and created a program called Athletes Against Drunk Driving. He went onto start another organization called Athletes For Life (AFL) which has been in existence for over 17 years. The organization mentors youth and teaches them life skills. Bell ended his NFL career with the Los Angeles Raiders and he's lived in Southern California since then.

While in Los Angeles, Bell completed an MBA program that he began in Buffalo. Following his retirement from the NFL, Bell served as Vice President of Player Personnel for NFL Europe. Currently, Bell has his own financial management company which he aptly named Greg Bell Enterprises. Bell credits his educational attainment for the variety of employment opportunities that he's had after football. "Education has always been the key (for me)," Bell explains. Instead of viewing sports as an end in itself, Bell sees sports as a means to an education. Bell believes that sports can keep youth, especially Black youth, "focused, going to school, and off the streets."

Through his AFL organization, Bell will be putting on a Junior Players Development Football Camp for boys and girls ages 11-14 in Santa Barbara County. The camp begins on July 30th and ends Aug 4th. Bell believes the week-long camp, which is modeled after NFL Teams' Training Camps, will teach the youth skills that will benefit them on and off the football field. A portion of the funds raised during Friday's Celebrity Golf Tournament will be used to send Rialto youth to Bell's football camp. John Silva, Coordinator of the City of Rialto's Junior All American Football Program, will select the youth from Rialto that the East Rialto Kiwanis Club will sponsor to go to the camp.