Greetings.
We are excited that we will be seeing you at the in-person Thanksgiving Luncheon celebrating the generosity of our community. It will be held Friday, November 18, at the RB Inn. Please get your tickets early.
To purchase tickets, visit 2022RBCFThanksgivingLuncheon.eventbrite.com.
To purchase by check, please contact Lesley Hughes at lhughes@sdfoundation.org. Mail check to San Diego Foundation, Attn: Lesley Hughes, 2508 Historic Decatur Rd., Ste. 200, San Diego, CA 92106.
We will be assigning seats on November 12, so to request specific seating, please purchase prior to noon, November 10.
Congratulations to our RB Community Foundation Volunteer of the Year, Mary Karscig!
Mary was honored at the North County Philanthropy Council luncheon on Oct 28 at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. Thank you, Mary, for all that you have done for RBCF over the years.
After three years as chair of RB Community Foundation, I will be stepping down at the end of this year. It has been my honor to lead this community organization that was founded in 1988 by our forward-thinking community leaders 34 years ago. We are one of the oldest community foundations in the San Diego region.
I want to thank you for your commitment to our community. Nothing is possible without your generous donations. It is your membership that makes this possible. Please know how grateful we are of your continued support.
Daniel Wilson
Chair, 2022
Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation
RBCF Grantee Spotlight: San Diego Zoo Global
“We are grateful to the Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation for the commitment to support our efforts in conservation education. Your gift of $5,000 made it possible for 260 students from Chaparral Elementary School to experience a connection to wildlife and conservation. Your contribution allowed our team to bring grade-appropriate, Next Generation Science Standards-aligned virtual programming to these 1st through 3rd grade students. Donations and gifts are more essential than ever as we navigate through the changes in our world. We appreciate the Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation, and acknowledge that without your gift the students of Chaparral Elementary may not have experienced the same connection to wildlife and conservation.” – Sasha Stallard, San Diego Zoo Park Education Manager
Teacher Testimonials:
“Thank you for sharing this program with local schools/classes. I could not have afforded to do this without the grant. I am very grateful. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon for my first-grade class.”
“Informational and engaging for the students. Hosts/guides knew how to work well with the target population and were very accommodating. Thanks for making such a fun experience available to students and teachers!”
“Thank you! I like all your hands-on techniques to keep students engaged. They really enjoyed learning about the animals.”
Member Spotlight: Liz Mullarkey
Liz Mullarkey grew up on a farm near Green Bay, Wis., and graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Lacrosse with a degree in Physical Education with an emphasis on Adaptive PE and a minor in History. She taught in the Prairie du Chien, Wis., school district and coached cross country, track and field, and gymnastics for seven years. She also worked with the Wisconsin Special Olympics. An opportunity arose for her to complete her Masters in Sports Management at Ohio State University via an assistantship in the Physical Education Department and the Athletic Department, while serving as an assistant coach for the gymnastics team. She also wrote a syllabus for teaching gymnastics in the public schools for the Ohio State Teacher Education Department.
Upon graduation, Liz went to work for her undergraduate alma mater, UW-LaCrosse, as an Associate Athletic Director and Head Gymnastics Coach. She also served on some NCAA committees where she met Judy Sweet, a former University of California San Diego Athletic Director and the first woman president of the NCAA who piqued Liz’s interest in San Diego. Liz loved her position, but after five years, the cold Wisconsin winters encouraged her and husband, Rob, to move to San Diego in 1985. She continued her work in education by substitute teaching and coaching at a local gymnastics gym. After two years, Liz and Rob decided to launch their dream of owning their own gymnastics studio. Gyminny Kids Inc. was born in 1987 in Rancho Bernardo and recently celebrated its 35th Birthday. Gyminny Kids was sold to Daniel Gundert, a long term, energetic staff member in December 2022. Liz still works for Gyminny Kids as a consultant.
When asked why she joined the RBCF, Liz commented that during the time she and Rob had the gym, they didn’t get out much and most of the groups trying to better Rancho Bernardo met within the 4 – 7 p.m. timeframe. This was the busiest time at the gym, so she could not leave to participate. She did organize a lot of local street fair entertainment over the years, including RB Alive, but wanted to do more to give back. That opportunity has finally come. Liz joined the Rancho Bernardo Historical Society and has served on the board for a year and serves as secretary. She is also hoping to be more active in the Rancho Bernardo Business Association, as small business development and continuation is so important and the RBBA is a wonderful organization that focuses on just that.
Regarding RBCF, Liz said, “I have always been very impressed with the RB Community Foundation and their philanthropic endeavors and am honored to now be a part of this wonderful organization.”
