Roughly a handful of organizations with La Jolla ties are among a total of 197 tentatively chosen to receive funding from the city of San Diego for projects and programs.
Hundreds of nonprofit groups, public agencies and city departments pleaded their case over the summer to City Council members for Community Projects, Programs and Services funds.
The 197 groups were chosen from among a record 518 submissions.
CPPS funds are distributed at each council member’s discretion in support of “community, social, environmental, cultural and recreational needs that serve lawful public purposes.”
The new awards are considered tentative because they require full council approval and a funding agreement. The process is expected to last until March, with payments expected from then until June. The timeline is subject to change.
Here’s a look at the La Jolla-based or -linked recipients and how much money they are expected to get.
BirdStock Music Festival
Funding awarded: $3,000
The 2025 BirdStock was held in Bird Rock on Oct. 25, and now the annual event is set to receive a new financial boost.
The festival on La Jolla Boulevard features local merchants, an array of musical performances, children’s activities and more.
At the flower crown station for this year’s BirdStock festival, Hallie Towe gives Clare Towe, 10, some festive headwear with Grace Towe, 7, standing by. (Ashley Mackin-Solomon)
It is presented by the Bird Rock Community Council and made possible through contributions and sponsorships. Proceeds go to the Bird Rock Foundation, which supports Bird Rock Elementary School, and future BirdStock festivals.
The BirdStock organizing team of Merisa Titlow, Arianna Opsvig and Kelsey Martin said the CPPS funds will be used to enhance medical services and safety at BirdStock, including an onsite ambulance, two emergency medical technicians and a nurse or physician.
This year, organizers had an onsite medical staff boosted by a nursing station sponsored by Cheer Home Care. EMT services were not needed, Titlow said.
“BirdStock is a rapidly growing event but maintains as its No. 1 priority the safety of our community,” the team said in a statement. “Onsite professional medical services ensure that BirdStock will be a joyful, celebratory and safe day for all participants.”
La Jolla Art & Wine Festival
Funding awarded: $5,000
More than 160 artists and thousands of spectators attended this year’s Art & Wine Festival along Girard Avenue in October. The city funding that the event is slated to receive will help offset the costs of its infrastructure, including tents, tables, chairs and staging equipment, organizers said.
Andrea Dahlberg, a board member who helped apply for the money, said rising costs and the city’s budget woes made it uncertain whether the festival would receive support.
“We were very thankful to get this grant because we know there’s been questions as to whether the city would have these dollars available,” Dahlberg said. “So we’re very happy that they’re still continuing to support the arts.”
The La Jolla Art & Wine Festival draws thousands to Girard Avenue in La Jolla over the weekend of Oct. 11-12. (Ashley Mackin-Solomon)
Sherry Ahern, the festival’s founder, said the event draws guests from across San Diego County and “we get better every year. We’re hoping to be there forever.”
The festival has given more than $1.2 million to local schools over 16 years, part of what organizers call a mission to “keep arts education alive in San Diego’s public schools.”
Fire Station 16 remodeling
Funding awarded: $7,200
As organizers seek to ramp up fundraising for an effort to revamp a fire station on La Jolla’s Mount Soledad, the CPPS funds appear to be a crucial addition.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department says Fire Station 16 at 2110 Via Casa Alta was built in 1982 and hasn’t had any major renovations since, instead receiving small upgrades.
The city approved a Phase 1 renovation plan shepherded by the La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club to replace walls and doors in the sleeping areas, along with other improvements. Should the Rotarians come up with the money and materials, the city will provide the labor.
The initiative comes with a price tag of $175,000.
Organizers including the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation and Rotary Club of La Jolla are in the midst of a fundraising campaign that has included public meetings, a walk-through of the space and a private fundraiser this week.
The $7,200 in CPPS funds will pay for all items firefighters placed on their wish list, barring unanticipated price increases, according to Rotary Club of La Jolla member Cindy Goodman. The items include bed frames, bedding, pillows, white-noise machines, area rugs, desk chairs, TVs and TV mounts.
Walter Munk Day
Funding awarded: $2,500
Walter Munk Day is an annual event honoring the renowned late La Jolla oceanographer. The festivities returned to La Jolla Shores on Oct. 4 with dozens of exhibitors at Kellogg Park.
The Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans launched Walter Munk Day after his death in 2019 at age 101 to honor his legacy and support the advancement of ocean science.
Mary Coakley Munk, Walter’s widow and co-founder of the foundation, said the group “sincerely appreciates” the CPPS funds, which will be used to cover costs from last month’s event.
”This countywide event is free for exhibitors and attendees and provides interactive ocean education and an opportunity for collaboration among the Kumeyaay, ocean-related nonprofits, blue-tech start-ups, K-12 schools, universities and governmental agencies,” Coakley Munk said in a statement.
Urban Surf 4 Kids
Funding awarded: $3,500
This San Diego nonprofit isn’t based in La Jolla, but one of its key projects takes place in La Jolla Shores.
Urban Surf 4 Kids serves children who are homeless or in foster care with resources ranging from mentoring and life-skills development to surf therapy. The latter aims to connect children with the ocean to help them overcome trauma and promote a sense of belonging.
The CPPS funds will enable organizers to buy new soft-top surfboards, wetsuits, rash guards and safety gear for the La Jolla Shores-based surf therapy sessions, said Executive Director Craig Jenkins.
“This new equipment is essential to expanding access and ensuring our youth have a safe, positive experience in the water,” he said.
“I’ve seen firsthand how a single wave can change a child’s outlook. This support helps us create those life-changing moments every time we get a kid in the water.”
Kyoto Prize Symposium
Funding awarded: $3,500
The Kyoto Symposium Organization, a nonprofit that organizes and administers the annual three-day Kyoto Prize Symposium, is expected to receive $31,500 across multiple City Council districts. Of that amount, $3,500 is allocated for District 1, which includes La Jolla.
The Kyoto Prize, an international award originated in Japan 40 years ago, recognizes people who “have worked tirelessly toward the betterment of humankind.”
Kenko Sone, consul general of Japan in Los Angeles; Kyoto Symposium Organization Executive Director Marisa Lin; Inamori Foundation President Shinobu Inamori-Kanazawa; Kyoto Prize Symposium gala chairman Peter Farrell; Kimberly Becker, president and chief executive of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority; and Kyoto Prize Symposium Chairman Paul Robinson attend the symposium gala March 12 in La Jolla. (Vincent Andrunas)
The organization is based in Del Mar, but UC San Diego in La Jolla is a host university for the symposium. A benefit gala for the Kyoto Prize Symposium was held at La Jolla’s Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in March.
See the full list of CPPS funding recipients at sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cpps. ♦