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For the love of parks

MAKE A GIFT

A VALENTINE'S STORY

2/14/2020

 
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In the 1990s, when Lygia was in her 70s, she took the bold step of engaging with her generation’s version of Match.com: She answered a personals ad Jim Charlton had placed, and the couple’s very first date was at Spring Lake Regional Park.

Lygia’s daughter, Diane DeRoo, says: “My mom was always a bit shy about the fact that they came together through a personals ad. When people asked her how they met, she’d leave out the part about the personals ad and just say they met on a park bench at Spring Lake! She was always willing to try new things, and I told her it was great that she answered the ad.”

Jim and Lygia wed and continued to enjoy walks and picnics at Spring Lake throughout their 20-year marriage. Then, in the summer of 2017, Lygia passed away. Seven months later, Jim also passed away. Jim left a $10,000 bequest to the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation to show the couple’s lasting appreciation for our beautiful parks.

The family’s fondness for Sonoma County’s Regional Parks extends to Lygia’s daughter Diane. Diane and her husband Michael, who own an RV, regularly drive from their home in Sebastopol to camp at Doran and Gualala Point Regional Parks. “We can drive a short 18 miles from home to Doran and be totally relaxed in the No Chore Zone,” Diane says. “There’s a wonderful bench at Doran with a plaque that reads, ‘May You Find Peace & Joy in This Moment.’ I like to sit there, take a deep breath and think, ‘That’s exactly how our parks make me feel!’”

The Parks Foundation is working with Diane to dedicate a bench at Spring Lake as part of Jim’s bequest. Diane concludes: “This is something that will be a lasting memorial to both my mom and Jim. It’s really meaningful to me and would certainly please both of them. Good stuff!”  

LEARN MORE ABOUT COMMEMORATIVE GIFTS TO THE PARKS FOUNDATION


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The Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation raises funds, fosters partnerships and advocates on behalf of Sonoma County Regional Parks. We are an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports programs and projects at 60+ Sonoma County parks and trails, including popular destinations like Spring Lake, Doran Beach, Sonoma Valley, Ragle Ranch, Foothill Regional Park, Tolay Lake Regional Park and more.
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  • Home
  • OUR WORK
    • Climate Action
    • PARKS & TRAILS >
      • Doran
      • Foothill
      • Helen Putnam
      • Hood Mountain >
        • Bill & Dave Legacy Fund
      • Maxwell Farms
      • Spring Lake
      • Taylor Mountain
    • PARKS PROGRAMS >
      • Camperships
      • Youth Career Pathways
      • YES! Youth Exploring Sonoma
      • Russian River Water Safety Patrol
      • Vamos a Nadar
      • Science Field Trips
  • EVENTS
    • Water Bark
    • Sonoma Harvest Music Festival
  • MAKE A DONATION
    • Ways to Give
    • Park Pals
    • Sponsorships
    • Corporate Matching Programs
    • Legacy Society
    • SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES
  • VIDEOS & PUBLICATIONS
    • VIDEO: 2022 We Owe it All to You
    • VIDEO: MEET THE SNOWY PLOVER
    • VIDEO: 2021 Celebrating An Amazing Year
    • VIDEO: YOUTH PROGRAMS
    • VIDEO: CAMPERSHIPS
    • VIDEO: Meet the Parks Foundation
    • VIDEO: You are the Foundation
    • VIDEO: Working Together at Helen Putnam Regional Park
    • VIDEO: The Trails You Love
    • STORIES: FOR THE LOVE OF PARKS
    • E-News
    • Media Archive >
      • Archive: Foothill Regional Park
      • Archive: Hood Mountain
  • ABOUT US
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff