At a public announcement on the lawn of Wisteria Cottage on June 20, John Bolthouse, executive director of the La Jolla Historical Society, revealed the nonprofit organization has reached a milestone in its fundraising campaign. Before disclosing the dollar amount, Bolthouse and Historical Society Board President Tom Grunow acknowledged the commitment of Melesse Traylor and Ann Zahner, volunteers for the capital campaign, as well as the generosity of donors Richard and Rita Atkinson and Dave and Sandy Coggan Erickson for their contributions. The Atkinsons and Ericksons were named honorary co-chairs of the Capital Campaign. With a goal to raise $2 million by the year’s end, Bolthouse, Grunow, Zahner, Traylor, the Atkinsons and Ericksons together unveiled the “fundraiser thermometer” to reveal the current level of funds raised: $1.54 million. “The La Jolla Historical Society’s mission — its purpose for being — is to serve the expectations of its constituents, and that expectation is to be the very best champion for La Jolla’s rich heritage by serving as a resource for the community,” Bolthouse said. “The society has existed for nearly 47 years only because it enjoys the phenomenal support of La Jolla.” The funds have been raised solely through the efforts of volunteers. Traylor said she often volunteers 20 to 30 hours per week for the society, a large part of that devoted to fundraising efforts. She makes calls, writes letters and has face-to-face meetings with community members to help gain their support. “This is a wonderful organization,” she said. “It’s very La Jolla-centered, and it’s truly a unique thing we have in our community.” “I can’t overstate how much these two ladies have meant to the capital campaign,” said Grunow in his address to the crowd. Sandy Coggan Erickson acknowledged the society’s importance to the preservation of the community’s past, including her own. She originally moved to La Jolla in 1952 and then returned in 1973 permanently. “These historical records are important,” she said. “If we don’t maintain them, I lose my history, too.” Three quarters of the total $2 million will go to the facility and the various expenses related to that. The rest will go to developing new programs and expanding the professional staff. “This money helps us invest in our programs and invest in us as an organization so we can be financially sustainable,” Bolthouse said. We want to be able to make our programs as inexpensive to the public as possible. It’s our constituents who we do this for.”