On Tuesday, May 21st, the Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary awarded a grant of $9172 to Forever Balboa Park to replace aging lockers in the Volunteer Room.
Balboa Park opened over 100 years ago, in 1915, in honor of the completion of the Panama Canal. The people of the city of San Diego came together to host a phenomenal two-year party called the Panama-California Exposition. This international event celebrated innovation, architecture, culture, and the natural beauty of the city of San Diego. Today Balboa Park covers 1200 acres and hosts 4.5 million visitors per year. There are 17,000 trees in the park, over 60 miles of hiking trails and more than 20 gardens. The historic Balboa Park Carousel gives 125,000 rides per year!
Balboa Park is so expansive and complex that the City of San Diego has partnered with Forever Balboa Park a non-profit dedicated to the care and enhancement of Balboa Park.
Forever Balboa Park has a full-time staff of 15 but depends on over 350 volunteers to serve as Garden Stewards, Park Ambassadors, Visitor Center staff, Tree Stewards and a group just to care for the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden!
Photo: (L-R) Art Pratt Foundation Treasurer Jackie Carpenter, Forever Balboa Park Vice President of Planning Jacqueline Higgins, Old Mission Rotary President Stan Vogelsang, Forever Balboa Park Vice President of Facilities & Operations Craig Batrez, Art Pratt Foundation members Tom Sandler and Judi Copeland, Forever Balboa Park Vice President of Institutional Achievement Phillip Sammuli and Art Pratt Foundation members Bob Chalfa and Don Krupp.