San Diego Automotive Museum
Dear Friends,
This Holiday Season unwraps a new era at the San Diego Automotive Museum (SDAM). We are eager to see the Museum round the corner and start the next lap in its future, especially including new programs and the upcoming building expansion.
With an extensive history of working with youth and a passion for the automobile, myself and the Board are enthusiastic about the Vocational Education Program at the Automotive Museum. Young people are motivated to learn and do well, but they need guidance. The Vocational Education Program will teach automotive expertise, budget management, proactive decision-making and teamwork. The Education Program will address the two biggest obstacles at-risk youth face: learning tangible job skills and developing an identity within a group. Seeing a need in the community to give underserved youth a chance to dream about their futures in the automotive industry, the Museum is building this program to fuel their dreams, keep them in school, and guide them as they travel the road to success. The Vocational Education Program will undoubtedly raise the bar in how SDAM provides education and skills by teaching automotive trades to high school-aged youth living below the poverty line, giving them meaningful and self-supporting careers.
The Museum will deliver a program with a new facility to house it by launching a Capital Campaign to complement a reimagining of the Museum that has been years in the making. We had an impactful donation from Dorothea Laub to upgrade the 1935 historical building with HVAC, a new sound system, car turntables, updated lighting, and fresh exhibits, bringing our facility into the 21st century. Next, the Museum expansion will increase space to 48,000 square feet, creating more exhibition areas for a truly world-class museum. It will include a newly constructed entryway, a 7,500 square foot outdoor event space overlooking Balboa Park, and classrooms. The San Diego Automotive Museum is the only museum in Balboa Park with city permission to expand. After completion, it will be among the nation’s most noteworthy presenters of automobiles and motorcycles. Naming opportunities are available, plus a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rename the Museum itself!
This year brought new friends to the Museum, like Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. Don will bring racing and automotive industry attention to the Museum, elevating it within the automotive world and beyond. This Holiday Season’s fundraising goal is $100,000 toward the Museum expansion and youth education. Please consider a Holiday year-end gift of cash, donor-advised funds, stocks, gifts of property or automobiles. If you are interested in learning more about the Vocational Education Program, the Capital Campaign, or donating over the phone, please get in touch with the Museum at (619) 398-0301. To give online, visit www.sdautomuseum.org. The San Diego Automotive Museum is sincerely grateful for your support and commitment, and we hope you visit us soon!
Have a wonderful and safe holiday!
Lenny Leszczynski, CEO, San Diego Automotive Museum
