On May 29th, 2015 Victor Cruz was honored at a gala in Paramus as Paterson’s “hometown hero” for his contributions to the Boys and Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic. “Cruz and his connections have donated about $1 million to the club in the past few years”, Chief Operating Officer Giovanni Restrepo said, enabling a re-haul of the Paterson summer and after-school educational club’s pool, where Cruz himself learned to swim. His donations have also helped facilitate a new STEM wing and other ongoing renovations, including a teen wing.