The Aaron Norris Creative Fund completed another robust round of grantmaking to arts organizations and individuals in the region. A recent grants celebration on July 1 found grantees expressing gratitude for the resources, which Joey Romero, who oversees the fund, says was downright inspiring and groundbreaking.
“We hold the event every year on the day that Aaron passed,” Romero said. “We did that collectively and on purpose so that we could turn a day of grief and sorrow into a day that we would celebrate Aaron and his legacy. This was our third year, and it was the most attended.”
Norris launched the fund before his death through the help of Inland Empire Community Foundation. It is yet another example of Norris’s generosity of spirit.
Norris rose to prominence in Riverside as a sharp businessman and passionate community philanthropist. His death in 2022 from Stage 4 Intimal Sarcoma sent shockwaves through the community, but his legacy lives on today through the fund.
IECF commended his leadership and dedication to the Give Big Riverside campaign, which once generated nearly $1 million for charities in Riverside County.
This year’s grantees include:
Ballet Folklórico de Riverside, which was awarded a 2026 annual grant to fund dancer training and community cultural preservation.
Riverside Arts Academy received support for their ongoing community music and youth education drives.
Riverside Children’s Theatre garnered support for local youth theater productions.
Rockstars of Tomorrow accepted a grant for its distinctly unique creative community music programs.
The Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for the Arts and Crafts was a grantee—the unique gardens and gallery supports the work of wood sculptor Sam Maloof.
Empower You Edutainment will use their grant for its mission: to empower, educate, and transform the lives of the voiceless via song, dance, and theatre.
San Bernardino Symphony Association, a stalwart creative force in the area, was another grantee.
Family Promise of Riverside, which is dedicated to helping families at risk of or experiencing homelessness, and artist Roberto Cervantes round out the recipients.
“The entire fund is designed to support the arts,” Romero said. “Aaron’s passion was the performing arts. But Aaron, as a philanthropist, gave where he lived, which was in Riverside. This is the first year that we’ve actually expanded that a little bit to include organizations in San Bernardino.”
He noted that one big focus of the fun is arts organizations that benefit children.
“Because that’s where Aaron grew up—in the Riverside Children’s Theatre,” Romero added, “and that’s where he truly found his voice and really became who he really was. It gave him the confidence to be truly Aaron.”
He is quick to note the evolution of the fund and its progress over the last few years.
“We’ve given about $75,000 at this point,” Romero said. “The first year we put the annual event together, we had about 40 people there, and we gave away some money. The following year, I said to our friends—Aaron’s and mine—’Hey, let’s all get together; be on the board with me and help me with the fund.
“That year, about 80 people attended the event,” he added. “This year, because we’ve been so diligent in planning and application processes, we actually had to turn some groups away, which is not something we wanted to do, but because of our steady diligence, about 200 people attended this year’s event.”
This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, July 2026.
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