Friends, family raise funds in honor of socially enlightened Corona ...

Funds are being raised in honor of a 17-year-old boy killed in a golf cart accident in Corona on Friday, March 22. According to organizers of the effort, the funds are going to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which works in over 190 countries to bring nutrition, health, education and other programs to children and families.

Adam Nemat, 17, was a student at Santiago High School in Corona. He had joined the Thirst Project, which builds freshwater wells in developing communities,  and Unity, a program to help reduce discrimination, the GoFundMe page established in his honor reads.

Adam’s mother, Mona Nemat, said in a Facebook post that he recently was fitted for a tuxedo for his senior prom and was set to graduate on May 29 with honors. He was also accepted to UC San Diego to study physics while waiting to hear from Berkeley and Ivy League schools.

Adam refused to take prep classes for the SAT or Advanced Placement exams and refused help on his personal statements, his mother added, believing the aid gave him an unfair advantage compared to those without the means to afford such help.

He was in the front passenger seat of a golf cart that turned over and landed on him, killing him shortly after, said Mona Nemat, a Superior Court of Riverside County judge.

The California Highway Patrol found the vehicle rolled over with multiple people inside, and none injured except for Adam. Alcohol or drugs were not a factor in the vehicle turning over, Javier Navarro, a spokesperson for the CHP Riverside office, said.

“On top of being a cherished son, a great brother, a dependable friend, and a stellar academic, he was a socio-economic warrior. He wanted to better the lives of those that weren’t afforded a chance,” reads the fundraising appeal.

Adam spent time feeding those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic and during his time with Unity.

Additionally, he went on a trip to South Africa, where he saw the poverty affecting the region. His mother said this caused him to break down when he got back and think of ways to help people there.

“He just wanted to make the world better,” Mona Nemat added in the Facebook post.

“The only way to honor Adam is to try to continue the work that he would have undoubtedly done,” reads the fundraising appeal. “We ask, if you are able to, to make a donation and that donation will go directly to UNICEF in Adam’s name. Let’s continue giving back to the world.”

The fundraiser by Tuesday had raised more than $30,000.