Briefly Speaking: Community news and notes from Escondido and San Marcos

Make-A-Wish grants Escondido girl’s wish

Escondido resident Carolina, last name withheld upon request, has a nervous system disorder.

Make-A-Wish San Diego stepped in to help brighten her days by letting her in on a secret at San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum in Escondido recently. Her wish was their command.

In this case, surrounded by family including her older brother and younger sister, Carolina received an iPad signed by her favorite singer, Prince Royce.

Additionally, the museum donated a free Annual Family Membership and a complimentary birthday party to the group.

Make-A-Wish San Diego grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions in San Diego and Imperial Counties to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Since its inception in 1983, the San Diego chapter has granted more than 3,600 wishes to children in the community.

For more information, visit www.sandiego.wish.org or call (858) 707-WISH.

If you’ve made it this far, Escondido Union High grads

The Escondido Union High School 71st Annual Golden Reunion will be held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at Grape Day Park. Organizers are expecting more than 700 guests so please register by May 1, according to publicity chair Rosalía (Atilano) Zamora

The event is held for all Escondido High alumni who graduated in 1966 and before.  This year, the class of 1966 is the “baby” class.  The event is hosted by the EHS Class of 1964.

The event was started in 1946 and became a “Golden Reunion” in 1948, when they honored the 50th anniversary of the first graduating class from Escondido High, the class of 1898.

The reunion has been held every year since.  The committee consists of graduates from the classes of 1964, 1965 and 1966.

Catered barbecue lunch is included in the festivities. Admission is $25. A limited number of “tickets at the door” will be $35 per person the day of the picnic.

Contact Ken Broach at (760) 415-1411 or e-mail at EHS1964Reunion@msn.com.

Elizabeth Hospice gets some help

The San Marcos Community Foundation recently awarded The Elizabeth Hospice a $7,500 grant to provide hospice care to uninsured patients and bereavement support to individuals and families that reside in San Marcos.

“At some point in time, we all will face the loss of a loved one,” San Marcos Community Foundation president Colleen R. Lukoff said. “We appreciate that The Elizabeth Hospice provides confidential, caring help at no charge to people grieving such a loss, right here in our community. It can make a world of difference at an important time in life.”

Elizabeth Hospice president and CEO Jan Jones added: “The grant from the San Marcos Community Foundation will help The Elizabeth Hospice to continue its mission in caring for individuals of all ages in need of comprehensive hospice care and grief support services, regardless of their ability to pay.”

The San Marcos Community Foundation exists to enrich the quality of life for the community of San Marcos, CA, and has been doing so since 1988. The Foundation continually strives to seek opportunities to strengthen our community, and the non-profit organizations serving it.

The Elizabeth Hospice is the oldest, and largest, nonprofit hospice provider of medical, emotional and spiritual support to the seriously ill and their families in San Diego County.

The Elizabeth Hospice has touched the lives of more than 90,000 patients and families in the communities it serves, regardless of their ability to pay since 1978.

Through its Center for Compassionate Care, comprehensive counseling and grief support services are available for all ages to the community-at-large, regardless of the type of illness or death experienced. To learn more, call (800) 797-2050 or visit www.elizabethhospice.org.