Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a public birthday event and a fundraising campaign supporting state parks and beaches in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties.
Founded in 1976 as a grassroots community organization, Friends has grown into a major operating partner of California State Parks. The organization supports 34 state parks and beaches, providing funding and staff for educational programs, visitor services, accessibility, disaster recovery and capital improvement projects.
“Our legacy is written in the redwoods and along the coastline,” said Bonny Hawley, Friends’ executive director. “For 50 years, we have been so much more than park supporters; we’ve been a conduit for community-driven action to sustain the beloved natural and cultural resources that belong to us all.”
The organization will celebrate its anniversary with a 50th Anniversary Birthday Bash from noon to 3 p.m. on Sept. 19 at Wilder Ranch State Park. The free public event will feature music, dancing, food, drinks and a silent auction. Former Friends staff and board members, as well as State Parks staff, are encouraged to attend for a team reunion.
Friends also has launched its Friends Golden Anniversary Resources for Resilience fundraising campaign, which seeks to raise $50,000 and add 50 new members with the help of a matching fund. Donations can be made at thatsmypark.org/donate.
Over five decades, Friends has supported preservation and restoration projects, including efforts at the 200-year-old adobe at Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park and the Castro Adobe in the Pajaro Valley. The organization also provides funding for interpretive programs and other efforts to preserve the region’s natural, cultural and historic resources.
Its Kids2Parks program, launched in 2015, helps remove financial barriers for students from low-income, Title I schools to visit local state parks and beaches. The program has connected more than 24,000 students with the region’s natural and cultural heritage through transportation, resources and interpreter-led outdoor education.
Friends also has played a role in disaster response and recovery, providing assistance following the CZU Fire and storms that damaged Seacliff State Beach and Wilder Ranch State Park.
The anniversary comes as several major projects move forward, including the opening of San Gregorio Ranch State Beach and the restoration of Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Locally, Friends also marked the arrival of the 250,000th visitor to Big Basin Redwoods State Park following the CZU Fire.
For information about the Sept. 19 event, email in**@*********rk.org or call 831-429-1840.
