Lou and Kelly Gonda -- the son and daughter-in-law of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) patrons Leslie and Susan Gonda -- have begun their own philanthropic tradition at UCLA with a $1.5 million gift to the university-run Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School (UES), the Daily Bruin student newspaper reports.

Four years ago, the Gonda parents donated $45 million for a neuroscience and genetics research building.

The donation by Lou and Kelly Gonda -- whose twin sons graduated from UES last year -- will go to a number of projects at the elementary school, including buying high-speed computers, videoediting programs and a flat-screen television for the school's library. Other funds will be used to start a children's community garden to commemorate Leslie Gonda's 80th birthday, the Daily Bruin reports.

The K-6th grade school is known as the teaching and educational research "laboratory" for UCLA's graduate school of education and information studies.

In addition to these gifts, the Gonda family also has given money to support vascular diseases and virology programs at UCLA.

While this is a relatively large gift for a small elementary school, it reflects a growing national trend by philanthropists who give to individual schools -- public and private, ranging from elementary to high school -- school systems, and for specific educational causes.

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04.07/news.gonda.html