Our County of Sacramento funding through the Department of Regional Parks was restored for one year, and while it’s not a permanent solution, it is a victory worth celebrating. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who showed up and stood with Splash during the nearly 11-hour Board of Supervisors meeting. Your voices mattered. You helped make this happen.
I wanted to write this note personally because last week’s victory wasn’t just a policy win—it was a heartwarming reminder of what makes the Splash community so special.
This isn’t the first time our County funding has been at risk. And every time, our community has rallied. This year was no different. Thank you to our Board of Trustees members who attended the meeting in person—Nigel Moore, who led the charge, and Eugene Lee and Bryan Young, who came to show support. Thank you to our Director of Development, Gina Fleming, who spoke on my behalf and crushed it. She organized our speakers and ensured the day ran smoothly—thank you, Gina!
There were 82 public speakers signed up to speak, including longtime allies like Mary Maret, former Splash Board Member and veteran teacher Maggie Ellis, Sacramento Sierra Club and Save the Sandhill Cranes President Sean Wirth, and—without a doubt—the most unforgettable speaker of the day, 10-year-old Damian.
Damian has been attending Splash programs since he was four. I had the joy of spending last week with him during Week 2 of our Youth Environmental Leadership Camp (YELC), and I had a chance to thank him in person for his brave words at the hearing.
When I asked his mom how she heard about the hearing and what made Damian want to speak, her answer brought tears to my eyes. She reminded me of a donation envelope we received a few years ago with two one-dollar bills inside. Damian was seven at the time. She told him he could send it, but not to expect a reply. But he did get an answer—because I remembered that envelope too. I wrote him back, sent a little nature book, and a few stickers. She told me that it lit up his world. Since then, Damian has wanted to be part of everything Splash offers.
That moment, and this one, remind me: nothing is ever too small to be grateful for. A $2 donation. A kind word. A child’s voice at a public meeting. It all matters.
This funding is only secure through the upcoming fiscal year, but we’re not taking any of it for granted. We will keep fighting for the resources needed to keep our programs free or low-cost for the families and teachers who believe in what we do.
And before I close, I want to give special thanks to a few more folks who stood in our corner that day: Robert Shanks, Eugene Lee, Bryan Young, Dave Hedin, Maxine Clark, and Betsy Wieland. Your support means the world to us.
With gratitude,
Mackenzie Wieser