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SOHO End of Year Giving
Warm greetings of the season! We're very glad you value SOHO and our constant preservation efforts throughout the county. This has been an intensely productive year for SOHO and we thank you for the role you play in our continued success.
In 2015, we undertook restoration projects at the Whaley House, the Santa Ysabel Store, and Warner-Carrillo Ranch House, meanwhile advocating and working for the preservation of treasures such as the California Theatre, Teachers Training Annex #1, and Balboa Park.
"One of the reasons I serve on SOHO's board is my frustration in seeing so many older buildings in San Diego being demolished or insensitively remodeled. Supporting SOHO's work is one of the few things I feel I can do as a private citizen to try to help stop this senseless trend," says Jaye MacAskill, SOHO's President. We need your support too, so this crucial work is never interrupted for lack of funding.
S O H O i s o n c a l l 7 d a y s a w e e k , b u t S a n D i e g o s t i l l s u f f e r s l o s s e s o f o u r h i s t o r i c i d e n t i t y a t a n a l a rm i n g r a t e a n d s o m e t i m e s b y u n d e r h a n d e d m e a n s . The Michels-Carey House, birthplace of San Diego's LGBTQ civil rights movement, was demolished "by mistake" on a Friday afternoon, but t h i s l o s s h a s p r o p e l l e d o u r p a r t n e r s i n t h e L G B T Q c o m m u n i t y t o p r e s e r v a t i o n a c t i o n a n d t he City is now conducting an LGBTQ historical survey and context statement that will help us defend these historic resources from future tragic loss.
"I joined SOHO in 1999 because I believe in the work they do to save San Diego's very precious and endangered historic resources from destruction," notes Jessica McGee, SOHO's volunteer Treasurer of 15 years. She's just one member who has devoted her time and expertise to SOHO over several decades. Won't you applaud such generosity and dedication with a donation?
"SOHO never wavers from its preservation mission," notes Vice President David Goldberg, a member for nearly 40 years. "It is one of the few non-profits I know of that is not financially beholden to any outside individual or group, thereby ensuring that SOHO stays true to its core principles." Please support the independence and ethical foundation that underlie everything we do by making a year-end contribution.
We far exceeded our own expectations in 2015 in producing four exhibits at the Marston House, three commemorative publications, three new tours and other programming to mark the 1915 Panama-California Exposition centennial.
"Balboa Park is the gem of San Diego, and the Marston House at its edge, is a cornerstone of our local heritage," says Board member John Rush. SOHO's stewardship and interior restoration of this great Arts & Crafts estate has introduced vivid, relevant history to thousands of visitors with grace, historic accuracy, and imagination.
SOHO oversees 11 historic properties, including five museums, we have more buildings and landscapes to care for than any other San Diego non-profit organization. That would be enough for any group to take on, yet, SOHO continues to provide an exciting annual set of programs too. From history-based concerts and movies at Old Town's Adobe Chapel to talks on heirloom gardening and heritage foods at the Santa Ysabel Store and the hugely successful annual Day of the Dead festivities - SOHO works in many wondrous and dedicated ways. We hope SOHO's ambitious, dynamic menu for every taste and age group will move you to give a gift now.
This year we also added a preservation professional and two other much needed specialists to our staff, which, in 15 years, has grown from one paid employee to 25. Our never-ending advocacy, experiential educational programs, outreach, and annual home tour all require enormous effort on the part of our expert staff and dozens of volunteers. Please help us keep growing with your much-needed donation of any size.
In 2019, we will celebrate San Diego's 250th birthday and SOHO will turn 50. SOHO has tremendous goals and vision for serving our city and region at milestones and every day, but such ambitious plans require substantial financial support.
SOHO is hailed as a national leader in preservation; SOHO's success is your success. Together, our success builds to San Diego's success. Board member M. Wayne Donaldson put it this way: "The sweep of SOHO's preservation victories and educational impact are one way I measure the rewarding decades of my life and work in preservation architecture in San Diego. For nearly 50 years, SOHO has consistently made San Diego more authentic, more diverse, and more exciting for everyone."
From San Diego's living rooms to its boardrooms, SOHO is an inclusive, energetic, and highly effective preservation force. We wish you a holiday season that brings you happiness, fulfillment, and time to visit any or all of our five museums.
Use this convenient ONLINE FORM to make your donation today.
Sincerely,
2015-16 SOHO Board of Directors
Jaye MacAskill - President
David Goldberg - Vice President
Jessica McGee - Treasurer
John Eisenhart - Secretary
M. Wayne Donaldson
Erik Hanson
Paul Johnson
Nancy Moors |
John Rush
Scott Sandel
Sandor Shapery
Kiley Wallace
Elizabeth Weems
David Swarens - Alternate
Executive Director Bruce Coons |
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