Happy New Year to all! I hope you had a safe and healthy holiday season. 

At the end of last year, we were pleased to reach out to our members with a small token of our appreciation for your generosity. We hope the face masks will help keep you and your family safe as we move forward in 2021.

We are well into our grants cycle for 2021. This year’s theme is “Community COVID-19 Recovery for families and individuals of all ages in 4SRanch~ Del Sur.”  Our community’s recovery from this pandemic is of paramount importance. Submissions were accepted through December 21, 2020 and your Grants Committee is currently vetting all the proposals now, with voting available to you in late March.

Hopefully vaccines will be well on their way to all of us in the next couple of months. It would be wonderful if we could gather outside to celebrate our 2021 grants this summer, though we realize that might continue to be restricted. Do know we miss seeing you all in person!

Our grantmaking is totally dependent on memberships and renewals, and a critical initiative for us this year is to expand membership through personal outreach. For this we need your help. Would you be willing to reach out to fellow members of our community?  If so, please contact Trudy Armstrong at trudy@sdfoundation.org.

Your commitment to preserving and protecting the future of our community through your donations to our Community Foundation is making 4S and Del Sur a better place to live, work and play. Your membership has never been more important! Please know how much your generosity is appreciated.

Be safe and I wish you good health,
Theresa Burke, 4SCF Board Chair

Board Member Bio: Jim Waddell and Tracy Weaver

Jim Waddell and Tracy Weaver have been members of the 4SRanch~Del Sur Community Foundation (4SCF) since 2014.  They first became aware of 4SCF through their volunteer efforts with Helen’s Closet and their annual “Thank You Run,” which has taken place for the last nine years.  Tracy and Jim are members of the Greater San Diego Chapter of the ALS Association which supports research into a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), which is also one of the goals of the “Thank You Run.”

“Through our membership with the Foundation, we have met many of our outstanding neighbors and have learned about our wonderful community,” said Jim and Tracy.  “Becoming part of the Grants Committee four years ago has been educational for us in learning what services are available to our residents and how the Foundation supports these efforts. We have found our membership with 4SCF to be very rewarding.”

Grantee Spotlight: Del Norte High School Music Boosters

The Del Norte Music Boosters (DNHSMB) provides support and financial assistance to the Del Norte High School Music Program, supporting music education for over 200 band, orchestra and color guard students.   In collaboration with the school’s Band and Orchestra Directors, DNHSMB develops and sustains Del Norte’s top-performing instrumental music programs at all levels.  With the generous support of 4SCF, DNHSMB has upgraded their marching band equipment trailer and transport equipment, which was used for the 14+ annual performances of the Nighthawk Marching Band.  The grant was also used to provide additional safety for volunteers and students via a solar lighting system, new load ramps and safer transport equipment.

“The lights help us load and unload faster and more efficiently and with less confusion. We can see better what we’re doing inside the trailer. The ramps make everything safer to load and unload.” – Ryan McWeeny, trumpet player and student volunteer.

Del Norte High School Music Boosters thanks 4SCF for their support and looks forward to partnering together for many more years to come.