On September 8th, 2006, the International Community Foundation (ICF) and its Baja California based sister foundation, Fundacion Internacional de la Comunidad (FIC) will hold their first joint gala celebrating their efforts to expand regional cross-border philanthropy in the San Diego-Baja California border region. The theme of this first ever gala will be “San Diego-Baja California: One Region towards a Brighter Future” and will be held at the Kona Kai Resort in Shelter Island, 1551 Shelter Island Dr., San Diego (see map). Malin Burnham, President of Burnham Real Estate and Lic. Mauricio Fernández Margain, President of FEMA Automotriz, will be the two Honorary Co-Chairs of the event. Yolanda Walther Meade and Randie Reinhart will be this year's Event Organizing Committee Co-Chairs.

Today more than ever before, there is a need for business and community leaders in both San Diego and Baja California to work towards a common future, but that will only be possible if civil society is strong on both sides of the border. Yet, for many residents of this region, the border remains a physical and psychological barrier, particularly since 9/11, dividing rather than uniting the 4.5 million people that live here.

As ICF’s President, Richard Kiy noted, “the wide array of trans-boundary issues in the San Diego-Baja California region can not be resolved by government alone. Collective cross-border civic action is needed by the public, private as well as the nonprofit sector if our binational region is to fully take advantage of its true potential in this age of globalization.” Kiy continued, “Here philanthropy has an opportunity to play a catalytic role.”

Apart from being a celebration of the collective crossborder charitable efforts of both ICF and FIC this first binational gala hopes to raise greater awareness about emerging philanthropic opportunities in the San Diego-Baja California border region. Proceeds from the gala will support ICF’s Sustainable Communities Fund and FIC.