Our Founder
"I am so blessed to have the opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of Southern California's youth. Every child deserves to be given access to opportunity to succeed and to fulfill their goals and dreams."
--Rob Fukuzaki, CEO/Founder, Heads Up Youth Foundation & ABC7 Eyewitness News Sports Anchor
The Heads Up Youth Foundation began as one man’s vision towards youth development and empowerment. Rob Fukuzaki, the weekday sports anchor for ABC7 Eyewitness News in Los Angeles and host of the post-game show, Sports Zone, started the foundation in 1997.
Rob was born in Torrance, CA on July 4th and raised in Honolulu, HI, where his family relocated when he was three years old. He graduated from the University of La Verne in Southern California in 1988 and earned a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism with an emphasis in radio and television. While at La Verne, Rob was chosen as the university’s Broadcaster of the Year in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
After college, Rob relocated back to Hawaii and worked for the Top 40 radio station KXPW as a radio host. In 1989, Rob began working part-time sports reporting for KITV in Honolulu. Shortly thereafter, he secured a full time position as the station’s weekday reporter and weekend sports anchor. In 1994, Rob joined ABC7 and became the first male Japanese-American TV anchor in Los Angeles local TV news. Most recently, in 2016, Rob was inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame.As a sports anchor, Rob encountered children unable to participate in youth and sports programs because of life’s economic disadvantages. He found this disheartening, because, as a youngster, he was active in a variety of different sports and youth activities. The strong family values instilled in him by his devoted parents, along with the traits he learned by participating in such programs--traits such as leadership, perseverance and discipline, helped him to gain the confidence needed to follow and achieve his dreams. The images of disadvantaged youngsters, unable to participate in sports and youth activities, provided the impetus for him to form the Heads Up Youth Foundation. With the support of family and friends, he formed a board of directors, committee and network of volunteers to help in the development and administration of the Foundation. What began as a vision is now celebrating its 26th anniversary!
Rob was honored by, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, at the "All For the Love of Kids" event for the Foundation's continuing support of foster children through the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.