New Pathway of Pride plaques unveiled

By Elizabeth Marie Himchak

A plaque honoring the late Bob Wells for his years of service to Rancho Bernardo plus 15 additional plaques have been unveiled at the Pathway of Pride.

Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation held its annual unveiling ceremony on Saturday at Webb Park, which now has 270 plaques along the pathway.

Installed at the Pathway of Pride’s entrance is a special plaque to memorialize Wells, who established the pathway in 1993 as a fundraising opportunity for the foundation’s endowment and community grants program. Wells also helped start the foundation and first organized the Rancho Bernardo Thanksgiving Luncheon, which eventually turned into one of the foundation’s major annual fundraisers along with the pathway and a cruise program.

Through these, RB’s endowment has grown to more than $1 million since it began in 1988. Its interest along with half of the money given by pathway plaque donors is distributed each November through community grants to local organizations and projects that benefit Rancho Bernardo. The other half of the plaque donations is invested in the endowment, as are proceeds from the other fundraisers.

Wells’ plaque was paid for by contributions, said Trudy Armstrong, associate vice president at the San Diego Foundation. As for the other plaques, each represents a donation of $1,000.

Plaque honorees, followed by donors’ names, are Bates family (Al and Deanna Bates), Abe Baum (Spirit of the Fourth, Inc.), Believe (Susan Shea), Lillian Berman (Selena and Allen Plotkin), Casa de las Campanas (Casa de las Campanas), Romeo and Violet Capriotti (Maryrose Jardin), Michael Crew (Charley and Barb Crew), Gyminny Kids, Inc. (Liz Mullarkey), Jim and Betty McCotter (Carol McCotter), Napierala family (Shirley Napierala), Vick Porter (Kiwanis Club of Rancho Bernardo), Carolyn and Bill Rarity (Cherie Carey), RB volunteers (John and Angeline Anas), Phil Sowers (Marcia Sowers) and Jeff Tilley (Arlene Tilley).