The Big Day of Giving was a huge success for SCNA and the Sierra 2 Center this year. SCNA more than doubled its goal with a final take of $52,630 from generous friends and neighbors.
In all, more than 350 donors helped raise desperately needed funds to stave off further financial deficits as SCNA weathers the coronavirus quarantine, which forced closure of the Sierra 2 Center since late March.
Donors gave in amounts ranging from $15 to $1,500. The largest donation came from Marlena Klopp of Gunther’s Ice Cream, which is particularly generous because Gunther’s has endured its own financial loss from limited operation.
We are happy to continue donating to Sierra 2 and will continue to do so despite our severe loss of business and income. It is our opinion that your commitment in supporting Curtis Park and the community at large are indispensable. We also appreciate the loyal support that Sierra 2 and its community bring to Gunther’s.
Marlena & Rick Klopp (owners Gunther’s Ice Cream)
More than 60% of the donations were $100 or larger, including 85 donations from $200 to $1,000.
The SCNA board will coordinate with Sierra 2 Executive Director Terri Shettle to determine how best to use the funds. The intent is to make sure SCNA has the financial resources to keep the center operating in the short and long term.
The SCNA board and staff have extended their thanks to the giving community. SCNA’s thank-you emails asked donors to describe what inspired their contributions. Dozens of testimonials were received.
Donors expressed the view that the Sierra 2 Center is at the heart of the neighborhood and has a fond place in neighbors’ hearts. All of the testimonials will be posted at sierra2.org, with excerpts on Page 12 of this issue.
If you weren’t asked to donate or didn’t have a chance, it’s not too late. Go to sierra2.org and click the Donate button.
Big Day of Giving donors say they couldn’t do without Sierra 2
Editor’s note: SCNA’s thank-you email to Big Day of Giving donors asked them to share what inspired their donations. Here are excerpts from their responses.
Of course, Sierra 2 is on our short list during Big Dog! It’s been very hard on your staff, teachers and learners, I’m sure. We’ve enjoyed many a fun event there, even had my retirement party there a decade ago! We want the best for our gathering center. It has provided education, movement, fun and entertainment for so many people over the years.
Nancy Blackburn
My husband and I have lived in Curtis Park for almost 30 years and Sierra 2 has been such an important part of why we feel a connection to the area. It’s hard to imagine Curtis Park without it – so anything we can do to help it stay on its feet is a high priority! The pandemic means problems for many organizations so my husband I want to support ones that are especially important to us.
Marge Ginsburg
Last year I gave smaller amounts to multiple charities, but I decided that this year with COVID-19 it might be better to give more to fewer charities. I chose to keep the Sierra 2 Center on my list because I think that community is important. I wanted to give locally and the Sierra 2 Center is as local as I can get.
Prior to purchasing my home in Curtis Park I walked around the neighborhood and talked with people who were walking around. I could tell that I was not moving into a neighborhood, but into a community. And it is a wonderful thing to be a part of a community.
I have not had the time to take advantage of all that the Sierra 2 Center offers, but I want to make sure that I do my part to ensure that it remains a vibrant part of our neighborhood. In addition, I feel that it is my responsibility to give as someone who can afford to do so.
Debbie Small
Sierra 2 provides a meeting room for the SMG AA group. It is a very special meeting that is the foundation of my sober life. If Sierra 2 closed, I feel we would be hard pressed to find another location that all of our members would be able to attend. Many thanks for your presence in our community.
Trenton Pitts
Our children attended Camellia Waldorf School, and for many years their school holiday performances and plays were held at Sierra 2. I have many happy memories of those events.
We have also attended other plays, concerts, birthday parties, anniversary parties, and community fundraisers at Sierra 2. We are Land Parkers, not Curtis Parkers, but it still feels like part of our neighborhood life.
Sonya Grant Zindel
We were inspired to donate to the Sierra 2 Center because we love and value the strong community Curtis Park offers, and Sierra 2 is a huge part of that.
Mary Durbrow
When I describe my neighborhood to people who don’t know it, one of the things I always mention is that we have an amazing community center, which truly is our “town center,” a place where everyone feels welcome, connected and anchored to the neighborhood. Sierra 2 is a key asset, and one that ties me to a place I’ve called home for more than 25 years.
Dorsey Griffith
I also run a nonprofit, so I know that the struggle is real! My family and I love Sierra 2 and are glad to be supporters.
Zachary Knight
I live in Curtis Park and am a member of the Curtis Park Neighborhood Association. I also am one of your tenants – GLAM (Glass Act Mosaic Collective). Our weekly gatherings are not only creative but a community of artists who inspire and support each other. I recognize how the loss of revenue due to COVID-19 will impact the center and am donating to do my small part in helping Sierra 2 continue as an important resource for our neighborhood and Sacramento.
Sharon Liberatore
We read about the virus-related financial issues and so right after Mike McKeever asked us to donate, we did. We will also re-up our membership.
Bill Craven
Sierra 2 does a lot for our Curtis Park community and we enjoy the benefits of the center (I attend exercise classes there) as well as the social events like the Wine Tasting and Home & Garden Tour.
Lori Tibbett & Rich Zacaroli
I donated to Sierra 2 because the community center means a lot to our family. We enjoy the Home Tour and especially the Easter Parade every year. I also returned to my mission to learn to sew thanks to The Learnery. Sierra 2 is a valuable asset to our community and I hope it continues to be around so one day I can take advantage of the Senior Center.
Brenna Rizan
As longtime residents of Curtis Park, our family has always understood the importance of the many programs, events and activities Sierra 2 Center offers, especially when they’re no longer accessible. It’s up to us users to protect this valuable neighborhood resource.
Steve Martarano
I’ve been donating the cost of my annual charity home and garden tours to their parent organizations even though the tours are canceled due to COVID-19. Hoping it helps keep these organizations afloat. There’s so much need out there. I’m checking with my sister, who always accompanies me on the tour, in case she is feeling charitable too. We will surely miss the tour this year – it’s one of the highlights of our spring every year.
Karen Auwaerter
Sierra 2 has been a part of our family’s fabric since 1983. Our son attended First Step there, and we have gone to dozens of weddings, memorials, parties, plays and classes ever since. Sierra 2 is an ESSENTIAL service!
Mary Ellen Shay (Land Park)
My husband and I love the plays and other theater produced at Sierra 2. We’ve been to several great shows, such as “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy!”
We also love your Gilbert & Sullivan productions by the Light Opera Theatre of Sacramento. And of course, I have a very good friend, Fran Coletti, who lives in Curtis Park and works part time at Sierra 2, so she makes sure we know about all of your great events. We’re happy to make the drive to Curtis Park to spend time with Fran and enjoy what Sierra 2 has to offer!
Carol Goodman & Tony Gane (Fair Oaks)
Sierra 2 is the heart of Curtis Park. We have lived in this vibrant neighborhood for 23 years and feel it is important to support Sierra 2 in this difficult period.
Chris Russell
My childhood home is in Curtis Park – born and raised on 10th Avenue. My parents are still there. Growing up, I attended ballet and modern dance classes at Sierra 2. We also had a birthday party for my parents in the main courtyard. My mom ran a summer camp there too. And now, we love attending the wine tastings. Curtis Park and Sierra 2 are dear to my heart so it only makes sense that I’d contribute.
Oh, and also my dad is Bill Hoover but I promise I donated without him asking:) I also publicized the donation image on Instagram to my page. Ironically, that photo includes me, my mom and my brother.
Courtney DalPorto
I’ve donated to the Sierra 2 Center because of my fond memories of 47 years living on Cutter Way in Curtis Park, and my fondness for my son Reuben’s girlfriend Kat Haro, who is on your board.
Rachel Edelson
I donated to the Sierra 2 Center because in ways it is the center of our community. We have meetings there, the SCNA office is there, and its offerings serve many in our neighborhood. The center helps to hold us together as a community. Without it, we’d lose our connection to the people who live in the Curtis Park area. This is the time that it really needs our support.
Wayne Anderson
Thank you for all you do! As a former longtime resident of Curtis Park and property owner, and current resident of East Sac, I recognize the value that SCNA provides to the community. The sponsored events like the Home & Garden Tour and Neighborhood Garage Sale, as well as the information in the Viewpoint are of great value to me. It helps me keep informed as to what’s going on in the neighborhood and city district. And also, to learn about my neighbors. I moved from Curtis Park last year and miss it terribly. SCNA is part of what makes it so great.
Michelle La Grandeur
Thank you, Kathy, for reminding me about the impact of the pandemic on Sierra 2 when I saw you recently. It made me think of what an empty hole would be left if Sierra 2 could not reopen. I have lived in this neighborhood over 25 years. I have taken classes at Sierra 2, my daughter had dance classes and theater rehearsals there, my niece got married there, I have been to countless meetings and events there over the years. Sierra 2 is a huge asset to this neighborhood and city. I am happy to support it.
Melissa Nappan
We are proud to support Sierra 2 and all it offers to our community. Our favorite events include those that bring our neighbors together like Music in the Park and the Easter Egg Hunt. Happy to help!
Tess Simas Dyer
We have been to several events at the Sierra 2, and realize its importance to the community. Martin has been our real estate agent for over 10 years. Kathryn and Martin attended our wedding and we consider them good friends.
Matt Shrewsberry
Sierra 2 plays a cherished role in our family. It’s where our daughter attended preschool and the site for so many great memories – community theater events, birthday parties, voting day and civic fundraisers. We’re glad to see our tight-knit community working to keep it operating.
Terri Hardy
I’ve lived on Fifth Avenue since 1962 and have seen all the changes, ups and down. After the center opened, I was able to volunteer in the late 1990s teaching individuals about Apple computers. After my husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I was housebound for years. The Viewpoint was my main connection to what was going on in the neighborhood and still is. For years, I’ve looked forward to getting Viewpoint each month and read about all the activities and what the neighbors are doing. I may not be able to attend the classes that are offered, but want to see the center remain healthy for those that follow me.
Shirley Burman
For the 40 years I’ve lived in Curtis Park, Sierra 2 has anchored our neighborhood. It has enriched my life, providing a space to study Italian and Spanish, learn modern dance, enjoy performances at the theater, practice yoga, drink and dine with friends and neighbors, watch my weight, attend forums about local elections, and give voice to issues that matter at board meetings. I can’t imagine our neighborhood without Sierra 2. Talk about a place that gives me my money’s worth! That’s why I’m donating today and I hope you do too.
Mimi Budd
We donated to SCNA because we consider the center to be a valuable asset to our neighborhood. SCNA brings to Curtis Park arts, culture, creativity, skills, gatherings, fitness activities, kids’ activities, senior activities, puppy training and much more. Personally, SCNA gives me the opportunity to give, and it creates the community I feel I belong to. For all of that, we donate with money, time, ideas, work, volunteering and as much as we can to keep it going.
Nury Enciso
Living in this Curtis Park community has honestly been a dream come true for my family and me. We love the charm, the neighborly love and the bond that Curtis Park stands by. Hoping you have a successful day of donations and that our beautiful Sierra 2 Center can perpetuate.
Marilee Manning
I contributed to Sierra 2 because it is the backbone of the Curtis Park neighborhood. It provides cultural enrichment, health and wellness programs, and an important gathering place for neighborhood events. It deserves extra support now that its finances are so stressed by the COVID-19 crisis.
Ann Arneill
Sierra 2 is an invaluable resource. The Senior Center has been my heartbeat for the last several years. Poetry, movement, meditation was my first adventure and then onto a marvelous Pilates class. I have borrowed books and donated many more books to share. Music in the little theater, politics in another room, receptions and memorials.
I always was overjoyed by seeing the work of the watercolor painting class on Fridays, listening to the chirps and drumming from a preschool dance & music class and bedeviled by the tempting smells of cookie-baking coming from the kitchen.
A vital part of my world and a vital part of the fabric that makes living in Sacramento wonderful.
Robin Netzer (Land Park)
We know nonprofit life very well and it takes a village to keep them strong. Here is why we wanted to donate: Our family has lived in California and Curtis Park for just over two years. We have fallen in love with it for many reasons, one main reason being because of the Sierra 2 Center! We have two young daughters, and Sierra 2 has provided us with a space to play, learn and grow in. Our oldest daughter attends Great Beginnings for preschool. We have also utilized many of the amenities the center has to offer, including the Music Together classes, craft sales, the annual Egg Hunt, dog park and playground. Sierra 2 Center has given our family a sense of community here in Sacramento and we can’t imagine Curtis Park without it!
Anthony, Jill, Abrielle and Riley Krutzkamp
I donated today because Sierra 2 has been so kind and generous to my Rock Steady Boxing group (Melissa Tafoya) in allowing us to hold potluck socials there. You’ve supported us and I want to support you.
Teri Bixler
My wife, Sherry, and I feel very fortunate to live in this beautiful neighborhood and realize that part of what makes this a wonderful community are the people, the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association and the Sierra 2 Center. We enjoy and appreciate the various neighborhood activities and are happy to contribute to keep them going.
Kathryn Griffin
My husband and I donated to the Sierra 2 Center because it’s an important feature of the Curtis Park neighborhood. It was the location of our wedding and now we take our small children to the Sierra 2 family events. The community center has given us wonderful memories so we wanted to give back.
Cary Zierenberg
As a second-generation Curtis Park resident, I am happy to support the great community activities and advocacy coordinated by Sierra 2. We certainly see the return on our investment regularly.
Teresa Montijo
Why did we donate? Because we can’t imagine our neighborhood without the Sierra 2 Center!
Bonnie Cornwall
Like many of my neighbors, I believe we are incredibly fortunate to have the Sierra 2 Center as both a cultural icon and a resource. I’m a cautious optimist; I believe we will get through this frightening, perplexing time, and the center will once again thrive, welcoming, serving and representing people from throughout Sacramento and beyond.
Andi Liebenbaum
The Sierra 2 Center has been an amazing catalyst for our community spirit, helping so many creative and nurturing forces thrive. But even as the center is temporarily shuttered, the people in the neighborhood that it fostered now nurture each other, in part because of the connections that Sierra 2 helped create. We are so fortunate to have Sierra 2 in our neighborhood!
Marian Moe
While the residents give Curtis Park its spirit, the Sierra 2 Center serves as its heart. From the many wonderful events it puts on throughout year to the steadfast dedication of SCNA, we are beyond grateful for the sense of community it fosters. Thank you!
Michael, Shannon, Alister & Maeve McKinney Hearn
Sierra 2 plays such an important role in Curtis Park. We’ve enjoyed shows in the theater over the years, and we love that so many diverse groups use the building all the time. We like
knowing that the old Sierra School is still part of the neighborhood’s fabric. When Sierra 2 had to close, Curtis Park temporarily lost some of what makes us Curtis Park. We hope our donation helps in some small way to offset the financial setback, and we look forward to enjoying Sierra 2 for many years to come.
Lisa Brodkey
Oh, I wish I could have given so much more. I love Sierra 2. It is the center of our neighborhood, providing essential and vital services to the Sacramento community. I’m grateful to the staff, board and all the volunteers for creating a hub of creativity, connection and learning.
Shelly Willis
I’ve never known a community like Curtis Park existed until I moved here in 2010. I believe so much of what binds this fantastic neighborhood together is the work of Sierra 2. I was so sad the home tour had to be canceled, and I pray the Wine Tasting can still take place. Thank you for all you do by volunteering on the board. I’m a former board secretary and the change the organization has gone through is truly remarkable. Thank you again, and I know Sierra 2 will weather this storm!
Nicole Quinonez
Like everyone in the area, I’m looking forward to the day when the Sierra 2 Center can reopen. I always intended to sign up for a Sierra 2 class but never got around to it. This forced closure has certainly made me realize what a valuable resource we have right here in the neighborhood.
Barbara Alexander
Over 40 years ago, the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association formed to save Sierra School from being demolished and paved over for a parking lot. Sierra 2 Center is a gem and an amazing asset for our neighborhood. Over the 20 years I have been in Curtis Park and a member of SCNA, I have participated in the Wine Tasting, Friday night dinners, pajama parade and Egg Hunt, Crab Feed, the annual Home & Garden Tour (a major fundraiser, canceled this spring), play groups, movies and concerts in the park, performances and concerts in the theater, Spanish class, yoga and zumba, birthday parties and numerous board and committee meetings (during my four-year tenure as a member of the board of directors).
The center is closed due to the governor’s executive order. While this action is, of course, necessary, it means the loss of thousands of dollars in facility rentals every month. SCNA is a lean, well-run organization but reserves are being rapidly depleted. (Please read your recent Viewpoint, which outlines the revenue loss, budget cuts and actions taken to avert crisis.)
Kathleen Babin
We’ve been Sierra-Curtis Park residents since 1981 and have never forgotten the successful efforts of neighbors to save Sierra School from being torn down. The idea of turning it into a not-for-profit community center run by the neighborhood association was and continues to be a beautiful vision.
Genevieve Shiroma & Michael Abbott