Holliday Family Foundation Makes
Leadership Gift to Shores Campaign

Long-time Del Mar community leaders Joel & Rosanne Holliday are leading three generations in philanthropy and showing their dedication for preserving open space in Del Mar with their leadership gift to purchase the 5.3 acre property.  The gift, given by the Holliday Family Foundation, is another demonstration of the family's commitment to Del Mar.

The Holliday family is engrained in community activism.  Joel Holliday was instrumental in the acquisition of the Powerhouse Park property where families now picnic on the ocean-view lawn, thousands enjoy the summer concerts, and children spend hours at the tot lot.  Before the early 1980s, the land was a vacant lot.  In 1983, area residents voted in support of the city acquiring the vacant land and boarded-up structure.  In the late 1990s, another citizen-led drive resulted in the building of Powerhouse Park Community Center.

The Hollidays also were involved in the fundraising to acquire and restore the former Saint James Church to its present-day jewel as the Del Mar Library in 1996.  As then-president of the Del Mar Foundation, Rosanne organized the first Valentine’s Day Dance to support fundraising and create more community awareness.

"We love Del Mar, and enjoy working to improve the community for the benefit of current and future generations of residents," says Joel Holliday.  "We are involved with the acquisition of the Shores property because it is a unique opportunity to protect a major recreation and education property.  We invite other families to join us in these efforts."

The Hollidays noted that each of the community projects which have made Del Mar the attractive and family-friendly community enjoyed today were driven by citizen activists with a vision.  "Now everyone enjoys picnics and the ocean view at Powerhouse Park," adds Rosanne Holliday.  "It would have been tragic if we had lost the opportunity to retain that piece of ocean-front property.  The same is true of the Shores property.  If we as a community do not buy the land, we will never have the opportunity again."

The Holliday family has lived in Del Mar since 1973, and both Holliday children, William and Katherine, attended Del Mar schools.  William attended Del Mar Shores prior to its closure in 1979.  Soon Will and his wife Nicole and Katherine and her husband Tom Sohn, will watch the third generation, Joel and Rosanne's two granddaughters start kindergarten.  With support from the community, they will be able to enjoy the softball field and open space at the Shores property for many years to come.