Nothing makes the world feel smaller or lonelier than the weight of depression and anxiety. It is a silent battle, but Saturday night there was a special group of people who showed up and made a difference for our kids, families and neighbors, to make sure that no one has to fight it alone.
I’ve been to a half dozen Safe Harbor fundraising events over the last decade and this one was just different.
You could feel the intentionality of the event, the love and care that was put into it by Safe Harbor leadership and staff, the board, all the way down to the interns.
Participating in the event were the leaders of all the other major non-profits in town, the mayor, people who had lived in Coronado for decades and people who recently moved here. You could feel the sense the room rallying for the mental wellness needs of our community.
Yes, funds were raised for the incredible and meaningful work that Safe Harbor does, but the statement made by the 100+ people who came and participated was even bigger than the dollars.
It showed that Coronado is a community that doesn’t just watch from the sidelines. We are a community that shows up.
I was inspired and wanted to tell someone so thank you for reading!
PS. The reason I even thought to write this was that I sat next to Dean (Eckenroth), the owner of this paper, and a Safe Harbor board member, and I was reflecting on how deeply he has cared about the community over the years. We served together on the Chamber board for years and I was struck by the fact that he no longer has kids in the schools but he, like so many others there Saturday night, are putting time and energy into being a champion of mental wellness for our community. It takes a village.
VOL. 116, NO. 8 – Feb. 25, 2026