RB Thanksgiving Luncheon Serves $12K in Community Grants

The Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation awarded $12,000 in grants to more than a dozen community organizations during its annual on Tuesday.

"What you do every day is special for our neighborhoods," said San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio, who was the event's master of ceremonies.

The grants, which range from $500 to $2,000, will help the 14 awardees serve the community in a variety of ways, from helping high schoolers find books to celebrating local veterans.

Throughout the rest of November, Patch will highlight each of the 14 grantees in a new "" column and describe how they expect to use the foundation grants to serve the community in the coming year. Many of the groups said they depend on these grants, which have been given out for more than two decades, to stay alive each year.

Tuesday's luncheon, attended by nearly 300 people, is the foundation's largest fundraiser of the year. The RB Community Foundation, an affiliate of the San Diego Foundation, has an endowment of more than $1 million which is used to support local organizations. It was founded by a handful of locals, including RB Hall of Famer Bob Wells, who was honored with a video during Tuesday's luncheon.

"Rancho Bernardo is one of a kind," Wells said after the video presentation.

The luncheon also included a performance by the RB High Madrigals and several giveaways, such as $500 gift cards to Nordstrom, a golf getaway and a hotel stay.

The grant winners:

• RB High Grad Nite: $2,000
• RB High Friends of the Library: $1,000
• RB Veterans Memorial Association: $1,000
• Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol (RSVP): $1,000
• Spirit of the Fourth: $1,000
• Friends of the RB Library: $1,000
• RB High Choral Music Program: $1,000
• RB Historical Society: $750
• Seniors Helping Our Kids (SHOK): $650
• San Diego Youth Philharmonic Orchestra: $600
• Rebuild RB (RB United): $500
• RB Senior Services: $500
• RB Neighborhood Watch: $500
• RB Community Council: $500

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