Each October, the Yosemite Association holds a fall barbeque on the Ahwahnee Meadow, generously hosted by Delaware North Parks and Resort at Yosemite. The alpen glow on Half Dome provided the perfect backdrop for a fantastic evening.
At this event, we get a chance to thank our supporters for their generosity for the year. We highlighted our Student Intern program, on which our fundraising efforts have been focused for the past two years. The program, in cooperation with the newly opened University of California in Merced, gives diverse students a chance to work in the park for the summer and explore careers with the National Park Service. This year, the attendees got the chance to meet two of student interns supported by their donations: Carla Saldana and Dalinna Cha. Carla is from Atwater, speaks Spanish and English and understands Japanese, and she’ll be transferring to U.C. Merced in the fall of 2006 to major in psychology. Dalinna Cha is also from Atwater and she inherited her love of the high country from her parents, who lived in the mountains of Laos. Her campground program for the season was “Big Cats in Yosemite.” The Yosemite Association is very proud of being able to provide these opportunities for students. We still need more funds to keep the program running, so please donate if you can!