Bobby Griffin Memorial Art Award

Pictured above Left to Right 2019 Bobby Griffin Memorial Art Award Recipients 

Alicia Alderate,  Elaine Gong & Jirong Shen 

Congratulations ! 

The Bobby Griffin  Memorial Art Scholarship was originally started in 1973 by Bob's  Family  to  award a Scholarship and  give recognition to a  Senior Student at South Pasadena High School who showed a interest in pursuing Art as a career.   

About Bobby:

Robert Alan or Bobby as he was known   attended school in South Pasadena, CA from Kindergarten through 12th  Grade. Bobby was a  a gifted  artist, musician, student,   writer, photographer, athlete who lived his short life to the fullest making every second, minute  and hour count.    

Bob graduated from  South  Pasadena High School in 1972 and was awarded the Bank of America Art Scholarship for his artistic talents.   After  High School  Bob  took a 2 month journey to Canada in his MG sportscar before returning home and  begin pursuing his aspiration to continue to hone his art skills at  University of California Santa Barbara. 

Tragically Bob's life was cut short in 1973 during his Freshman Year at UCSB.   Bob and his roommate Mike Hillbloom both 19 at the time left us  on March 21,  1973 in a   2 seater Cessna 150  plane in the mountains above Newhall, CA .   Mike and Bob where minutes from arriving in Burbank, CA in route from Santa Barbara to attend Bob's Grandfathers funeral when the accident occurred on a rainy night in rough weather.  Bob's untimely death left a lasting impression on all who knew Bob.  What it left was live your life to the fullest, follow your dreams and don't waste a second, minute.   Bob was never one to stand out or seek attention but his spirit continues to live on and it is an honor to keep his memory alive through the  Bobby Griffin Memorial Art Award which like  Bob wanted to go beyond South Pasadena which the Award fund has accomplished with the donations made to date.  .

In  2015  Bob's younger brother reestablished the Bobby Griffin Memorial Art Scholarship which as mentioned was initially established in 1973 after Bob’s passing at the age of 19 while he was attending the University of California Santa Barbara majoring in Art.     

Our mission is to continue to raise funds to create a lasting endowment for the Bobby Griffin Memorial Art Award as it is now named .  The $250 Award was  1st awarded in 2016 and will be awarded every year to a deserving South Pasadena High School Senior who has an interest in pursuing Art as a career and submits a portfolio of work in the areas of paintings, drawings, logos, photography including digital arts. We have also made charitable donations from the fund outside of South Pasadena to worthwhile charitable causes

Other   Non - Profits the Bobby Griffin Memorial Art  Award has made donations to in Bobby's memory  

• Art Center  College of Design   Art Center Fund 
• Ernie  Els  -  Els for Autism 
• Sons of Italy Foundation  - Orders Sons and Daughters of Italy in America 
• Commemorative  Air Force ( CAF) 
• South Pasadena Tournament of Roses 
• The Centennial Campaign for UCLA - School of Arts and Architecture 
• UCLA Fund for Excellence   
• UCLA Blue Gold Challenge
• Hurricane Michael Aftermath  
• Buy a Van for Los Elegidos Ministry 

State of California  State Charity Registration Number : CT0261209

Employer Identification Number : 47-7337739

Classified as  Private Foundation 509 ( a) 

Tax Exempt from Federal Income Tax  Under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501 (c) (3) 

Donors can deduct contributions  under IRC Section 170   

Bobby Griffin Memorial Art Award aka BGMAA  is  qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under Section 2055, 2106, or 2522

As a  Tax Exempt Private Organization we are required  to file from 990-PF  Return of Private Foundation or Section 4847 (a)  ( 1)    Trust  Treated as a  Private Foundation  Annually 

Trust managed by JBGmg with separate trust account at Chase Bank 

Join us for our 4th Annual 2019  Bobby Griffin Memorial Art Award  Golf Tournament Fundraiser

email   golfguy@griffingolf.com   

 Arroyo Seco Golf Course South Pasadena   

9:00am  Tee off 

19th Hole  Mixer noon - 1:30pm

 call : 562.810.8881 for more information 

2016 -  Co Winners -  Tessa Coffey  & Joshua Sunga 

2017  - Michael Dong Hye Kim 

2018   -  Becky Seo-JinYoung 

2019 - Elaine Gong 

"JB" James B.  Griffin ,  Trustee

Bobby Griffin Memorial Art Award 

ph: 562.810.8881 

email: jbgriffin@jbgmg.com 

Bob attended Lincoln Elementary School in South Pasadena, CA from Kindergarten through 6th grade , South Pasadena Junior High School and graduated from South Pasadena High School in 1972 . At the age of 9,  Bob received  a full set of World Book Enclyclopedias by winning 1st Place in the local Cappy Dick  Art Contest sponsored by the Pasadena Star News.  Bob's picture was featured in Star News sitting on top of the Enclyopedias. 

 In addition to his art talents, Bob also was an  guitar player ( played in a band )  and very good athlete. As a Little Leaguer  at South Pasadena LL,  Bob  was selected to the All Star team and  tied for the best batting average in the League as a 12 year old with his good friend Mark Romay. Both Bob and Mark batted .525 for the season.  In High School Bob played C Basketball as a Sophomore then jumped to Varsity Basketball for his Junior and Senior Season . Bob  was a 2 year Letterman for the Tigers Varsity Basketball team and helped lead  the Tigers  as a Guard to the Rio Hondo League Championship in 1972 and  CiF  Playoffs.   Bob was named Co-Captain of the Tigers Basketball Team as a Senior. 

"Ambition and achieving a high goal has always been the mainstream of my life, especially during the past few years. when  I have been able to comprehend myself as an individual person . I want  to succeed in wahtever way of life I choose to take and to make that choice through a vast amount of knowledge and experience other than that of the city life of South Pasadena. I want to feel as if I have accomplished something for my own personal gratification and for the benefit of people that may be affected by my actions "    -   

"Bobby"  Robert Alan Griffin   - January 5th 1954-March 21st 1973