Former TV anchorman Ed Arnold may be Santa Ana College’s biggest cheerleader – and with good reason. Fresh out of the U.S. Marine Corp. in 1961, Arnold was directionless, he said. But when he was recruited to play football at SAC, he met his future wife of 63 years, Dixie, and a counselor who encouraged the former radio DJ from Texarkana, Arkansas, to pursue a career in broadcasting. “My whole life changed because of Santa Ana College,” Arnold said. After transferring from SAC to Long Beach State and earning a degree in speech, Arnold went on to a 35-year career in local television. He served as a sportscast at KTLA and later as the voice of public television station KCET and a member of KABC-TV’s “Eyewitness News” team before finishing his career anchoring the 10 o’clock news at KTLA. Arnold never forgot his roots; he has worked with several philanthropic initiatives at SAC, including the Athletic Hall of Fame and the Santa Ana College Foundation, where he served as the president and chairman. Perhaps his most visible role with SAC has been as master of ceremonies for the annual golf tournament that bears his name: The Ed Arnold Golf Classic, which this year takes place on May 5 at Mission Viejo Country Club. With characteristic humility, Arnold said he doesn’t deserve to have a tournament named after him. “But the college thought it would help them out, and apparently it has. It means a great deal to me because of what the school means to me.” Teeing off for a purpose: Arnold’s impact on Santa Ana College The mission of the Ed Arnold Golf Classic is to raise critical funding for the program needs of the 17 intercollegiate athletic sports at Santa Ana College as well as to support the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, which recognizes athletes who have excelled in their sports careers at Santa Ana College and beyond. The tournament also benefits student-athlete scholarships. Since 2001, the tournament has grossed $1.8 million, funding such amenities as a speaker and scoreboard for the soccer field, baseball and basketball scoreboards, uniforms and bags for the softball team, and 2023 SAC baseball State Champion celebrations and rings. “The golf tournament has raised the profile of the Foundation’s work and the profile of the college,” said Christina Romero, executive director, Office of Advancement & Foundation. “It has also allowed the college to directly fund some significant projects that would not otherwise have been funded. We’re able to do things outside of the budget that aren’t funded by taxpayer dollars that allow for excellence to continue within athletics.” Along with funding sports facilities, the proceeds also pay for travel to meets and tournaments, new jerseys, cameras and livestreaming equipment and much more, Romero said. Investing in the future Since 2001, the Ed Arnold Golf Classic has funded 175 scholarships totaling $250,000 to student-athletes transferring to a four-year university or technical school. Andrea Picchi, dean of Kinesiology, Health & Athletics, said the importance of that cannot be overstated. “We recognize our student-athletes that excel at a very high level in the classroom and in the field of competition, and that really pays dividends for them in their next step at a four-year university or career advancement,” Picchi said. She noted that by supporting student athletes, SAC is investing in the future. “They are our next nurses and first responders. They are our teachers, engineers, doctors, our mechanics, our welders,” she said. “And they will be out in the community giving back. By supporting our students, we’re investing in young lives so that they can pursue their dreams and contribute to the community and make it a little better than how they found it.” Emily Rosas, an assistant softball coach at SAC, said the scholarship she was awarded was a needed steppingstone toward her career goals. “Getting out of college at the junior college or even the four-year level, it’s difficult to get yourself going and get a job started,” she said. “It was because of that scholarship that I was able to go to cosmetology school and make money right out of college to afford my bills. That’s something I’m forever grateful for.” Celebrating a legacy Along with Arnold, notable SAC alumni who have gone on to excel in their fields participate in the tournament every year as players, volunteers or corporate sponsors, including former Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson, attorney Wylie Aitken, founding partner of Aitken Aitken Cohn, and real estate developer Steven Craig, the tournament’s title sponsor. “The tournament really gives us an opportunity to celebrate our legacy as a 110-year-old college and focus on the future,” Picchi said. “Oftentimes it’s hard to be in one space where you can recognize the past and all the great people in the room that have contributed to that as well as planning and supporting for future successes and endeavors. So, it’s a unique, fun day.” For Arnold, the tournament is one of the many ways he gives back to the college that gave him so much. He said he hopes his involvement with Santa Ana College will inspire younger generations “to give back to their school, give back to their community and make this world better.” To learn more about the Ed Arnold Golf Classic, click here. To learn more about Santa Ana College’s philanthropic initiatives, including the 1915 Society legacy program that supports SAC students through estates and planned gifts, click here.