Summerland Beautiful Committee and Parents for Summerland have received a $30,000 grant from the Manitou Foundation in support of the committee’s mission to enhance Summerland’s appeal to residents, visitors, businesses and school children by providing a safer and more beautiful environment.
“I believe that Summerland is a little bit of heaven,” said Manitou Fund trustee Nora McNeely Hurley who, with her husband Michael Hurley, has been a Summerland resident since 2014.
“I am proud to support the Summerland Beautiful Committee because it accentuates the positives of our community, emphasizing the spirit and freshness of summer,” she said. “Summerland’s great, unrealized potential needs to be a community-wide project.
“Our foundation’s commitment to benefitting the environment fits the new beautification committee’s project goals. We will help preserve and enhance the luster of a vibrant, safe, beautiful, charming seaside community loved by all residents, businesses and visitors alike.”
Summerland Beautiful is partnering in this initiative with Parents for Summerland, a nonprofit organization.
Projects, such as cleanups in the main areas of Summerland and safety improvements, will benefit students of Summerland Elementary School. Summerland Beautiful has made flags to honor the school history and the Summerland School Waves history.
The Summerland Beautiful Committee and Parents for Summerland’s long-term goal is to reconstruct the community’s school tennis and basketball courts on Lillie Avenue. This will require extensive engineering, architectural and foundation work. The aim is to provide a beautiful centerpiece of Summerland for all to enjoy.
“This year the association has added more committees with the goal of enhancing Summerland’s vitality,” said Gordon Morrison, president of Summerland Citizen’s Association. “The Summerland Beautiful Committee plays an important role in this and with this donation, promises to start delivering on its goals immediately. This is most impressive.”
“We are grateful for this amazing donation by the Manitou Fund,” said Jayme Bray, Summerland School Board treasurer. “This money, earmarked for the cleaning up of the downtown corridor, will aid in making it safer and more enjoyable for our students on their community field trips and as they go to and from school.
“We would like to thank the Summerland Beautification Committee for teaming up with us to make this much needed improvement happen.”
Ongoing fund-raising efforts will sustain these programs. Summerland Beautiful is co-chaired by Elizabeth Winterhalter and Leslie Person Ryan.
“It has been a real honor to work for the betterment for Summerland” said Ryan. “I hope other businesses and citizens will be inspired by this donation to work together for further community enhancement”
For more information on these programs, or to make a donation or grant, contact Winterhalter, 805-904-7328, or Ryan, 805-453-1465. There will be a check presentation and raising of the first Summerland Elementary School flag on Lillie Avenue at 10 a.m. Wednesday Nov. 6.
— Leslie Person Ryan for Summerland Beautiful Committee.