Legal community helps Project Youth OC top $1 million milestone

Project Youth OC has surpassed $1 million in fundraising through its 22-year partnership with the OC Marathon, a milestone driven largely by Orange County's legal community and its sustained investment in youth diversion and prevention programs.

A dozen regional law firms and legal service providers fielded teams at the 2026 race: Allen Matkins; Berger Kahn; Haynes and Boone; Jones Day; Judicate West; Knobbe Martens; Latham & Watkins; Minyard Morris; O'Melveny & Myers; Robinson Calcagnie; Rutan & Tucker; Snell & Wilmer; and Wesierski & Zurek.

Robinson Calcagnie partner Wesley K. Polischuk, the nonprofit's 2025-26 board president, is leading fundraising efforts tied to the 2026 Hoag OC Marathon, where Project Youth OC serves as a charity partner. The organization focuses on keeping at-risk youth in school, healthy and drug-free -- a mission Polischuk said is rooted in the legal community.

"We've been partnering with the Orange County Marathon for over 20 years now, and during that time period, we've been able to fundraise over a million dollars," Polischuk said Friday. "We just reached that goal this year. It reflects a long-standing commitment of the legal community to investing in prevention of adverse situations with youth. It's an investment in prevention, not just a reaction to what's going on around us."

Founded in 1981 as the philanthropic arm of the Orange County Bar Association, the organization now operates independently but maintains close ties to the bar, a connection that continues to shape its mission.

"I think the lawyers that founded it recognized early on that if you want to reduce involvement in the justice system, you have to intervene earlier, before young people ever get there," he said. "We provide diversion programs, mentorship, counseling, and access to education and career pathways that change the trajectory of young people's lives. So instead of reacting to the problems downstream, we're creating opportunities upstream."

Nearly 325 participants across 14 teams competed on behalf of the nonprofit this year, with community running groups, including Keep Runnin' Santa Ana, also taking part.

Among them was Arlene Garcia, a former Project Youth OC participant who interned at Jones Day through the organization's Project SELF program and now works at the firm. She ran with the Jones Day team, raising funds for the nonprofit that helped shape her career.

An original charity partner since the marathon's 2004 launch, Project Youth OC has used the annual race to fund programs and expand awareness of its prevention, mentorship and family-centered services.

"The momentum behind this event continues to grow because of our teams, sponsors, and community partners who show up year after year," said Nancy Garcia, associate director of Project Youth OC.

The organization serves more than 1,500 youth annually through prevention-first programs aimed at reducing recidivism, preventing substance use and strengthening families. Services include juvenile diversion, early intervention, mentorship, and college and career readiness. Project Youth OC has been rooted in the community for more than 50 years.

One of its signature initiatives, Project SELF -- Summer Employment at Law Firms -- places youth in legal internships across Orange County.

"We provide internship opportunities to youth in Orange County who otherwise wouldn't have access to those opportunities. This summer, we're going to have at least 50 interns, mostly in law firms in Orange County, giving them the opportunity to work in a professional environment," Polischuk said. "Many of those kids go on and graduate from -- or get into -- four-year universities. Many of them come back and work in the legal profession afterward as well. I think what we do is rooted in the legal community, and we wouldn't be able to do what we do without the legal community's involvement."