Fairgrounds Foundation Fundraiser Exceeds Expectations

$51,125 Raised Thanks to Generous Donors

In December of 2020 four generous groups each put up $5,000 and challenged the community to match it in hopes of raising a total of $40,000 to fund the work of the Foundation. Happily those hopes were far exceeded as the 2021 Challenge Grant brought in $51,125.

Here are the four groups who each donated $5,000:

• Keller Williams Realty (Chuck and Ramona Allen of KW Ag & Commercial Real Estate and Renee Mello of Renee Mello & Associates)
• Rosario and Patricia Rodriguez, El Mercado Popular
• Sunrise Rotary Club, Santa Cruz
• Don and Diane Cooley, Porter Ranch. When the Cooley’s learned that the community had met their challenge, they donated an additional amount in memory of their son, Steve Cooley, who had recently passed.

The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Foundation was founded in 2002 to help maintain and develop new facilities on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Through the generosity of the community the organization has invested more than $2.6 million dollars in Fairgrounds upgrades. The Foundation funds an annual Heritage Hog Scholarship and has developed a Youth Leadership Program for high school students.