CNMF’s Birthday Party Celebrates 70 Years of Partnership with Cabrillo National Monument
By Peggy Junker, CNMF Development Manager
Photo Credit: Gary Severt
The Foundation drew one of the largest member crowds yet during its 70th Anniversary celebration on February 1, when 100 guests and volunteers, along with park and Foundation staff gathered to commemorate the decades-long partnership between Cabrillo National Monument and CNMF that has helped strengthen and protect our park that is loved by so many.
Against the backdrop of a full, Snow Moon; the twinkling lights of downtown San Diego; and the illuminated beacon tower of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, this event gave visitors the rare opportunity to experience the park after hours. Guests had the option of touring the lighthouse, taking a guided hike along the Bayside Trail, or enjoying CNMF’s birthday cake and light refreshments inside the Assistance Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters. Photographers, equipped with nighttime camera lenses, lined the walkway — eager to capture the full moon and lighthouse.
Attendees also had the chance to hear remarks from Park Superintendent Chris Rodriguez, who stood alongside CNMF Executive Director Emily Moore on the steps of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse to share insights into the decades-long partnership that has endured between the two organizations.
Moore highlighted the incredible impact of CNMF members and donors. She revealed that annual donations to the Foundation in 1956 totaled roughly $700. Since then, giving has grown exponentially, with the Foundation having raised an estimated $6 million dollars in the last 10 years alone. She ended by noting that with the support of the Foundation's committed community members, she anticipates the Foundation will be in a position to continue to provide funding to the park for another 70 years and beyond.
Want to learn more about the Foundation’s history? Read the story here.
