Over the years, Colon has treated more than 100,000 children, from infancy to age 18, all at the Santa Ana location.
Last year, for its 20th anniversary, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast, an umbrella group with sites in five cities that include Santa Ana, wanted to honor Colon’s career by giving him its DreamMaker Award. But COVID-19 prevented the annual “Be Great” gala from taking place. Colon was given his award this October.
Colon, 58, was honored for his more than two decades of work at the clinic and for creating a COVID-19 health-and-safety protocol that has become a blueprint for Boys & Girls Clubs around the country. (His ideas on that front also helped the clubs re-open after a few weeks of shutdown in early early 2020, so they could provide day care for the children of healthcare and essential workers, remote learning assistance, and other vital community services.)
