Happy New Year
I hope your holiday season was happy, safe and healthy!
The board and I would like to thank our outgoing president, Daniel Wilson. Daniel did a marvelous job as president during unprecedented times. Prior to becoming our president, Daniel chaired our grants committee. Thank you, Daniel, for your deep commitment to the betterment of our beloved community!
I also want to express a special thank you to outgoing board member, Mike Stelman, for his extraordinary service to the board. Mike has worked for years to improve the lives of others though his service to our community. We also welcome new board member, Liz Mularkey.
I am excited to take the reins and serve as your president for the next two years. I would like to invite you to let me or Trudy Armstrong know if you would like to have a one-on-one discussion about the work of the RB Community Foundation. I look forward to getting to know each of our members on a more personal level. If you would like to participate at a deeper level on the grants, membership or events committees, please let me know or contact Trudy Armstrong at trudy@sdfoundation.org. We are currently in need of more members for our grants committee, so please consider getting involved and learning more about the local nonprofits serving our community!
We were thrilled to have our first Thanksgiving luncheon since 2019 due to the pandemic. It was wonderful to be together to celebrate this wonderful community with dear friends and grant over $90,000 to our incredible nonprofits serving Rancho Bernardo. We look forward to also getting together this spring. Please watch for further information on a spring event.
Join us for a Spring Mixer on Wednesday, March 1st at Carvers Steak & Chops. Enjoy light appetizers and beverages while mingling with your fellow Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation members and neighbors. Help us spread the spirit of philanthropy by bringing a friend or neighbor who would like to learn more about making an impact in Rancho Bernardo. RSVP here by Friday, February 24.
As you can see, our board continues to work in support of our community. But nothing is possible without your generous donations. It is your membership that makes all of this possible. Please know how grateful we are for your continued support!
Debbie Kurth
Chair, 2023
Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation
Special Note from Pathway of Pride Chair Dave Brooks
The Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation invites you to join your friends and neighbors on the Pathway of Pride. Your contribution to the āPathway of Prideā program, which recognizes individuals or groups who contribute $1,500.00 or more to the RBCF Endowment Fund, is a great way for people of vision to contribute to the well-being of Rancho Bernardo and its citizens.
As a contributor you will be honored by having your name (or the name of someone you want to memorialize) engraved on an individual ceramic plaque that is permanently placed on the pathway around Webb Park Lake. Additionally, your plaque donation includes one year of membership! As a member you will have a voice on funding decisions made annually by the grants committee.
Founded in 1988, Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation provides assistance to the Rancho Bernardo community through projects and programs focused on senior services, youth activities, recreation, promotion of the arts, educational enhancement, civic enhancement and community protection by building a permanent, growing Endowment Fund to meet Rancho Bernardoās changing priorities and emerging needs. Its only purpose is to make Rancho Bernardo an even better place to live and work. Please share the news of this wonderful opportunity with friends and family. Contact Dave Brooks at 858-945-1616 or pathwayofpride@gmail.com to learn more today!
Grantee Spotlight: Spirit of the Fourth
The Spirit of the Fourth committee is grateful for the support provided by Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation. Our event is the oldest Fourth of July celebration in San Diego County, promoting patriotism and our nation’s birthday in the greater Rancho Bernardo area.
The Spirit of the Fourth provides a full day of activities to celebrate the Fourth of July in a safe, family-friendly setting. Our events start at 9 a.m. with a Community Fair in Webb Park, which includes the Larry Himmel Memorial Patriotic Pet Contest, a play area for children, the Wheels of Freedom Motor Show, a Veterans Memorial Service, a quilt show, and booths for local organizations and businesses. There are also art displays and entertainment. The second event is the parade that begins at 3:30 p.m. Entries include first responders, marching bands, elected officials, community leaders, beauty queens, floats, dancers, baton twirlers and many local organizations. Our last event of the day is a fireworks show held on the athletic fields of Rancho Bernardo High School.Ā The gates open at 6 p.m. to allow families and friends to hang out, play games, and listen to live bands and performances from our RB Star competition winners. The fireworks start at 9 p.m. and the show lasts 15 minutes.
We estimate that we see 10,000 attendees throughout the day. We hope youāll come in 2023!
Member Spotlight: Jim Roth
Jim Roth is an attorney whose practice has served the Rancho Bernardo community for the past 36 years. Committed to community service and strengthening our community, Jim has assumed leadership positions on an assortment of nonprofits and foundations. He is a former Director for the Blue Sky Community Foundation, the Bernardo Town Center Property Ownersā Association, the Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation, the Rancho Bernardo Chamber of Commerce and its successor, the North San Diego Business Chamber, having chaired the board of both chambers during his tenure. During 2006, Jim was elected to the Rancho Bernardo Hall of Fame and recognized as the Rotarian of the Year in Rotary District 5340. Jim and his wife, Laurel, are celebrating daily their marriage of 13 years.
āDuring its early days, I joined and served the Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation because of its devotion to provide funds for nonprofit community activities in Rancho Bernardo for decades into the future. Since that time, it has exceeded my expectations and I am proud to have been a small part in its growth and unwavering support of the Rancho Bernardo community.ā