Julio Portela Endowment

Julio Portela was a young man with an old soul; he was wise beyond his years. Although his time on this earth was brief, he has left an impact that has echoed over five decades. Julio lived his life with a simple but powerful philosophy: we are here to serve others, and when you help your fellow man, you are really helping yourself. He believed in service, he believed in compassion, he believed in integrity and honesty – and he acted accordingly.

In his 15 years, Julio was a shining example to his fellow 1978 Explorer classmates about how to serve a greater good. A man of few words, he let his actions do the talking – and those actions spoke volumes. Julio was a great teammate, and he died doing what he loved. It has been 50 years since that horrific day at football practice when we lost Julio to that single bolt of lightning, but his legacy of helping others lives on. As a direct result of that tragedy, every time a lightning detector sounds the alarm somewhere in Dade County, it means Julio is watching out for us all. To honor him, Columbus High School – in conjunction with Julio’s family – is proud to announce “The Julio Cesar Portela Memorial Service in Action Endowment Fund.” The proceeds raised will assist current CCHS students who desire to participate in service activities, but lack the finances for travel, lodging, food, etc.

Nothing would please Julio more than to see young men who want to serve others being empowered to do; with your generosity, we can make that happen. Whether you knew Julio well or never met him, this is a worthy cause, and we ask for your support. As it says in the Bible, “Give, and it will be given to you.” Those are words to live by – Julio certainly did.