DOWNEY — Actors and comedians gathered up their golf clubs and their goodwill and came together for the first annual Baka Boyz Benefit Golf Tournament on Monday, June 27.

Radio personalities the Baka Boyz — Nick Vidal and Eric Vidal — hosted the tournament at the Rio Hondo Golf Club in Downey in partnership with the Southeast Community Foundation.

“Our mission is to basically bring kids to the grade level that they’re supposed to be at and that’s by the way of tutoring,” said Southeast Community Foundation CEO Eddie Tafoya. “The proceeds today will benefit high-impact, high-dosage tutoring that we provide for free, at no cost, for kids K-12.”

Besides the Baka Boys, the celebrity guest list for the tournament included Arie Rose, Steve Williams, Creeper of Cholo Fit, Sal Lopez, Tony Denison, Alysha Del Valle, Emilio Rivera, Antonio Jaramillo, Julien Cesario, Anthony “Citric” Campos, Alfred Robles, Phil Medina, Jamald Gardner, Courtney Nichole, Ricky Montez, Momo Rodriguez, Concrete, Jay Montalvo, David Fernandez Jr., Al Coronel, Jeff Garcia, Jesus Trejo, Martin Moreno, Steve Villegas and Chelsea Rendon.

“Beautiful people and beautiful souls out here lending their time and their energy and their authenticity to something that is necessary in certain communities,” said Nick Vidal.

Although a handful of those in attendance admitted they had never played a game of golf prior to the tournament, they didn’t hesitate to participate in support of the Southeast Community Foundation.

“Supporting charity is always fun, it’s always amazing, you always gotta help people out, help the next generation,” said actress Chelsea Rendon.

Actor and comedian Momo Rodriguez mentioned the significance of Latino representation at the event.

“A lot of my friends are playing here, a lot of people in the industry that I know and work with, a lot of people trying to do right for Latinos and it’s always good to be part of a clique of people that are trying to do positive things in a time where everyone is being viewed as under a microscope,” said Rodriguez. “We want to show that we have support and our people are trying to do positive things and not always the negative things that are attached.”

The Southeast Community Foundation offers academic resources and services to children in the Southeast Los Angeles region, with the city of Downey being an area served.

Comedian Jesus Trejo said “education is very important, especially as Latinos.”

“It’s definitely that old adage that knowledge is power,” Trejo said. “The only way that we’re gonna come up, or as they say in Spanish levantarte as a raza, is through knowledge and education and hopefully we help a lot of students out there get the education and the guidance that they need.”

Entry into the event was $175 per individual and $700 per foursome. All funds raised via purchase of a raffle ticket at the golf tournament went towards the Southeast Community Foundation.

“Children, as they say, are the future and I am a proponent of actually giving children the opportunity to have choices in life that are not so much under the idea of institutionalization but more about the freedom of being able to see past many narratives,” said actor Jay Montalvo.

Eric Vidal said hosting the first annual Baka Boyz Benefit Golf Tournament and being able to give back to the community is a dream come true.

“We have been doing our thing and have been getting our career going for 25-30 years now but it’s not about us anymore,” he said. “We’re established and there’s other things out there that need some light on it, so I’ve been wanting to get involved with more nonprofit organizations and really lending our time, light and energy and truth to something else.”

Many of the celebrities in attendance were invited personally by the Baka Boyz.

“Anytime the Baka Boyz say, ‘Show up, we got this going on, it’s a good cause,’ I’m there; nothing but love for the homies,” said comedian Martin Moreno.

The Baka Boyz say they plan to host a benefit tournament next year but jokingly mentioned not in June, as reference to the heat which reached a high of 92 degrees that day.

“The Baka Boyz have told me that they want to make this an annual event and they chose Downey specifically because this town is near and dear to them,” said Tafoya. “They got their early starts here and they wanted to showcase their start around here with the foundation and this tournament here.”