Holliday
Family Foundation
Makes
Leadership
Gift to
Shores
Campaign
Long-time
Del Mar community
leaders Joel & Rosanne
Holliday are leading
three generations
in philanthropy
and showing their
dedication for
preserving open
space in Del Mar
with their leadership
gift to purchase
the 5.3 acre property. The
gift, given by
the Holliday Family
Foundation, is
another demonstration
of the family's
commitment to
Del Mar.
The
Holliday family
is engrained in
community activism. Joel
Holliday was instrumental
in the acquisition
of the Powerhouse
Park property
where families
now picnic on
the ocean-view
lawn, thousands
enjoy the summer
concerts, and
children spend
hours at the tot
lot. Before
the early 1980s,
the land was a
vacant lot. In
1983, area residents
voted in support
of the city acquiring
the vacant land
and boarded-up
structure. In
the late 1990s,
another citizen-led
drive resulted
in the building
of Powerhouse
Park Community
Center.
The
Hollidays also
were involved
in the fundraising
to acquire and
restore the former
Saint James Church
to its present-day
jewel as the Del
Mar Library in
1996. As
then-president
of the Del Mar
Foundation, Rosanne
organized the
first Valentine's
Day Dance to support
fundraising and
create more community
awareness.
"We
love Del Mar, and enjoy working
to improve the community for the
benefit of current and future
generations of residents," says
Joel Holliday. "We
are involved with the acquisition
of the Shores property because
it is a unique opportunity to
protect a major recreation and
education property. We
invite other families to join
us in these efforts."
The
Hollidays noted
that each of the
community projects
which have made
Del Mar the attractive
and family-friendly
community enjoyed
today were driven
by citizen activists
with a vision. "Now
everyone enjoys
picnics and the
ocean view at
Powerhouse Park," adds
Rosanne Holliday. "It
would have been
tragic if we had
lost the opportunity
to retain that
piece of ocean-front
property. The
same is true of
the Shores property. If
we as a community
do not buy the
land, we will
never have the
opportunity again."
The
Holliday family
has lived in Del
Mar since 1973,
and both Holliday
children, William
and Katherine,
attended Del Mar
schools. William
attended Del Mar
Shores prior to
its closure in
1979. Soon
Will and his wife
Nicole and Katherine
and her husband
Tom Sohn, will
watch the third
generation, Joel
and Rosanne's
two granddaughters
start kindergarten. With
support from the
community, they
will be able to
enjoy the softball
field and open
space at the Shores
property for many
years to come.
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