Thank you to the News-Press for spotlighting SBEquineEvac’s nonprofit community-driven renovation efforts for the historic Earl Warren Showgrounds (“Showground rebound,” Jan. 19).
We would like to clarify some details and further acknowledge our critical partners in this project.
We undertook this project because we realized the 19th District Agricultural Association, like all California fairgrounds, relies solely on events for income with no state funding for normal operations or maintenance of facilities.
As a nonprofit organization, SBEquine Evac volunteered to raise funds and to improve and renovate the equestrian facilities with expert equestrian technical input.
SBEquineEvac’s donations of completed work are endorsed by the 19th DAA through board resolution and are coordinated with the staff. We appreciate the board’s support as well as the staff at Earl Warren who work under extremely limited finances and manpower as well as complex state meeting rules and regulations.
As clarification to the article, phase one has not been completed. Over the next several months, we hope to complete phase one and then continue with additional renovations.
At this time we have raised over $800,000, expended approximately $560,000 and are continuing our fundraising outreach to the community to complete this critical project.
We would also like to acknowledge that the new sound system for the entire equestrian facility was donated by the Earl Warren Showgrounds Foundation. Old Spanish Days donated an arena drag.
Many other local nonprofits have donated cash to our project.
Readers can see our full accomplishments to date and our generous donors on sbequineevac.org.
Karen Christensen
SBEquineEvac project director
Kathy O’Connor
SBEquineEvac president
