Coastside civic and non-profit groups, educational organizations and city agencies will share in the $85,000 in grants and donations announced today by the Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee. The grants will be announced during the City Council Meeting on May 19 at 7 p.m. at the Ted Adcock Community Center.
Funding is generated through the annual Art & Pumpkin Festival, which has been operated and managed by the Beautification Committee since 1971. The grants and donations are above and beyond the estimated $400,000-$500,000 raised annually by local community service groups from food, beverage, game and parking sales at the Pumpkin Festival.
In its 38-year history, the Beautification Committee has directly contributed more than 2.5 million dollars in grants and donations to coastside non-profit organizations and civic causes. “At a time when non-profits are having difficulty funding their programs, we're delighted to support the outstanding work of many organizations that are so crucial to our sense of community,” said Cameron Palmer, President of the Beautification Committee Board of Directors. “We don't take for granted how fortunate the Coastside is to have an event like the Pumpkin Festival that is able to consistently generate revenue for our non-profits,” he said.
The largest single contribution ($25,000) went to the on-going maintenance and beautification of the Main Street downtown core. Among the efforts are seasonal planting of flowers, installation and repair of old-fashioned wooden benches, litter removal, cleaning, and year-round maintenance of Main Street.
Some of the organizations receiving funding include the Coastal Repertory Theater ($11,000), San Mateo County Sheriff Explorers Program ($5,760), I.D.E.S. Society ($5,000), Coastside RotaCare Clinic ($4,000), Coastal Arts League ($4,000), City of Half Moon Bay Police Department PAL program ($3,000), Coastside Adult Day Health Center ($3,000), Senior Coastsiders ($3,000), Half Moon Bay High School Grad Night ($2,000), No Strings Attached Breakfast ($1,500), Sonrisas Communty Dental Clinic ($1,500), Seton Medical Center ($1,500), Young Actors Workshop ($1,000), and Boys & Girls Club of the Coastside ($1,000).
Additionally, $5,000 in college scholarship money will be awarded to Half Moon Bay High School students. The scholarships are named in memory of founding festival members Dolores Mullin, Patsy Dutra and Melvin Mello.
This year’s 40th annual Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival will be held October 16-17, 2010. For information, call 650-726-9652.
