Post-floods: Supporting our neighbors
As the altruistic arm of Sonoma County Tourism, Tourism Cares works with local nonprofits to create ways for tourism partners to give back through volunteer efforts. 
 
In light of the recent floods, SCT supports our affected partners and neighbors, and encourages our hospitality community to join us in rolling up our sleeves to help. 
 
Please let us know if you have a need for volunteer assistance, and we'll rally our partners to lend a helping hand. See information below on how to help with debris cleanup in Guerneville.

For volunteer assistance, please email Nicole Bradin, director of community engagement, at nbradin@sonomacounty.com.
Immediate need for volunteers
Russian Riverkeeper and Clean River Alliance are currently coordinating volunteer efforts in Guerneville this week. Those interested in helping with the flood cleanup can visit the volunteer check-in station at the Guerneville Plaza. The group will be there from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at least until Friday, March 8.

Some safety gear and supplies will be available, as well as a current list of people who need help. The plaza is on south side of intersection of River Road/116 and Armstrong Woods Road. Parking is available nearby.

Volunteers will be clearing out debris. Also, volunteers with trucks are needed to haul debris to dumpsters. You'll need sturdy boots, heavy gloves, and clothes that can get wet and muddy. 

Visit www.facebook.com/RussianRiverkeeper for information.
CELEBRATING THE ARTS
The Sonoma County Arts Community Gives Back
Tourism and the arts are deeply linked. Art nourishes our community, while playing an important role in defining who we are as a destination. In this issue, we're focusing on the arts in Sonoma County, and all the ways it contributes to our unique identity and culture.
 
Sonoma County's natural beauty and vibrancy attracts artists of all disciplines - makers, actors, musicians, visual artists, sculptors, potters, and more - and they in turn support Sonoma County culturally, socially, and economically.
 
With more than two dozen performing arts companies, a multitude of music and performance venues, and more than 100 museums, maker spaces, and galleries, artistic works are enjoyed by Sonoma County visitors and residents alike.  
 
According to a study by Creative Sonoma, a division of the Sonoma County Economic Development Board, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $80.4 million in annual economic activity in Sonoma County, supporting 2,684 full-time equivalent jobs, and generating $7.4 million in local and state government revenues. The study also shows that 42 Sonoma County nonprofit arts and culture organizations spent $45.1 million in fiscal year 2015 - to pay employees, buy supplies, hire services, and acquire assets.
 
The arts in Sonoma County also supports the community in other ways. Individual artists donate their works to community fund-raisers and support arts programs in local schools. Arts organizations provide classes and workshops, and host concerts and other fund-raising events for nonprofit groups.  
 
The Children's Museum of Sonoma County (see story below) offers discounted admission and membership to locals in need, and scholarships for school trips and the museum's summer camp. 
 
In addition to entertaining residents and visitors with Broadway-quality performances, Transcendence Theatre Company (see story below) sings at community events and for people in hospitals and other institutions; leads workshops with local youth groups; offers opportunities for free concert tickets to local residents; and raises money to support a local state park.
 
And in addition to discounts and scholarships for its programs and classes, the Charles M. Schulz Museum (see story below) holds free admission days throughout the year, and hosts a Gratitude Reception with each new exhibit, honoring members of the local community.
 
Sonoma County fosters a spirit of giving back, and our artists and arts organizations take that to heart. Please join me in celebrating the arts community and all of its meaningful contributions.   
 
- Nicole  
Nicole Bradin
Director of Community Engagement
Sonoma County Tourism
Sonoma County Tourism's Call for Artists to Create Brand Design

SCT recently disseminated a call for artists to help with developing a design for the new "Life Opens Up" brand. 

Several artists submitted proposals and three were selected to move into the design development phase. The winning design will be incorporated into merchandise/promotional items including canvas tote bags, mugs, t-shirts, notebooks, posters, potentially as an illustration in the annual visitors' guide or on maps, etc.
 
While we could have asked our agency of record to develop brand designs, the brand positioning statement calls Sonoma County a "... progressive community of artisans ..." so it was natural to select a talented local artist to create this design.
 
We anticipate announcing a final design in the spring. Watch for this exciting unveiling.
KUDOS TO ...
Creative Sonoma supports the arts
Amazing people are participating in important and inspiring creative projects throughout Sonoma County, and Creative Sonoma supports them by offering  trainings and workshops, networking opportunities, financial  resources, communication and marketing activities, and innovative collaborations. Learn more at creativesonoma.org.
Schulz Museum encourages gratitude

Several times a year, the Charles M. Schulz Museum shows its appreciation for specific segments of the local community by hosting a Gratitude Reception inspired by its current exhibition.
 
For the exhibit "Then Came The Dog," the museum honored local veterinarians, animal rescue workers, and others in the animal and pet service industry. Past receptions honored World War II Veterans, elected officials, and those working in the literary field.
 
The museum supports the local community in many other ways, including helping with discounts or scholarships for schools, libraries, community groups, and individuals attending hosted educational programs and classes. Every quarter the museum offers a free admission day, with several other free days throughout the year from Kids Day to Grandparents Day. Additionally, nonprofits are able to rent the museum for events at a discounted rate.
 
The Charles M. Schulz Museum celebrates the iconic images of the Peanuts comic strip gang and the life of the beloved cartoonist who created them, Charles "Sparky" Schulz. It includes the largest collection of original Peanuts artwork in the world, as well as a recreation of Sparky's studio, a 100-seat theater showing animated Peanuts specials, an outdoor courtyard featuring a "kite-eating tree," and more. The museum offers classes in cartooning, animation, character design, and other arts, and hosts a variety of community events. For more details, visit schulzmuseum.org.

Transcendence Theatre reaches out
Transcendence performers Garen McRoberts (center, in blue shirt) and Colin McAdoo (on right, in plaid shirt) lead an exercise at the Boys & Girls Club.

Founded in 2009 with a goal of making a difference in our community through art, Transcendence Theatre Company clearly extends the extra reach, and the extra mile to make that happen.
 
Each summer since 2012 its award-winning "Broadway Under The Stars" concert series has brought accomplished Broadway and Hollywood performers to the majestic open-air winery ruins in Sonoma Valley's Jack London State Historic Park. Its "Skits Under the Stars" series offers free open mic nights at various wineries throughout Sonoma County.  Other performances take place in remarkable locations, both indoors and out, throughout the North Bay Area. Shows attract locals as well as visitors, with more than 25 percent of audience members coming from outside Sonoma County. 
 
Each group of artists that comes to do a show also participates in a community outreach project. They sing for people in memory care, hospitals, and other institutional settings; lead workshops at Sonoma Valley Boys & Girls Club and other youth organizations; talk about different arts careers with at-risk teens; and sing at community events and fundraising benefits. In all, they've completed more than 123 community projects.
 
"It's one of the most meaningful things to us as artists and as part of this community," says Stephan Stubbins, co-executive director of Transcendence. "The bonds that we form with people by doing these community projects transform our lives and transform their lives."
 
The group has raised more than $450,000 to maintain and preserve Jack London State Historic Park; distributed more than 4,000 free concert tickets to youth and nonprofit groups in the community; and given hundreds of free tickets to people who lost their homes in the October 2017 wildfires.

In the true spirit of the word, Transcendence continues to extend beyond the limits of ordinary experience for our community and our visitors alike. To learn more, go to transcendencetheatre.org.
 
Transcendence performers gather with kids at Sonoma Valley Boys & Girls Club.
Children's Museum opens to the community in many different ways
Parents and children can explore and discover together at the Children's Museum of Sonoma County.

Dedicated to instilling a sense of wonder and teaching children (and their parents) about the arts, sciences, and the world around them, the Children's Museum of Sonoma County makes a point of opening its doors to as many as possible, including both residents and visiting families.
 
It hosts Sensory Friendly Afternoons, when families with children with special needs are able to play exclusively in the museum, for free. The museum turns the sounds and lights down, and offers support staff and therapy dogs.
 
Not wanting finances to be a barrier, the museum offers discounted six-month Family Access Memberships to those who qualify. Also, anyone showing a public benefits card at the front desk gets $2 admission per person. When funding allows, scholarships are available for school groups to visit the museum, and for children to attend the museum's summer camp. The museum also participates in the Discover-and-Go program, which allows visitors to make advance reservations and download free museum passes from the Sonoma County Library website.
 
The museum features hands-on, interactive exhibits and activities in a safe environment that are custom designed for families with children age 10 and younger. There's the Science & Imagination Gallery, TOTopia (a safe space for infants and toddlers 35 inches and under), Mary's Garden, and Ella's Art Studio. For more details, visit cmosc.org.

Children can tend to babies in an incubator and do other medical tasks in the museum's Head-2-Toe Health & Science Lab.

Ella's Art Studio lets children of all ages express their creativity.
Helping out at Sonoma Family Meal
Marjorie Sands, left, chops veggies with other Tourism Cares volunteers at Sonoma Family Meal.
A group of Sonoma Tourism Cares volunteers gathered on Saturday, Dec. 1, in the kitchen at Sonoma Family Meal. They chopped vegetables and made tamales, soups, and noodles for weekly meals that were distributed to about 80 families who lost their homes in the October 2017 wildfires, and are still recovering. 

Sonoma County food writer Heather Irwin founded Sonoma Family Meal during the October 2017 wildfires. The group continues to provide chef-made meals each week to fire survivors in need. For more details about the organization, go to  sonomafamilymeal.org.

Note: For her efforts, Irwin was honored with a 2018 Spirit of Sonoma Award, presented by the  Sonoma County Economic Development Board to those who contribute to the economic development and enhancement of the communities where they live, work, and conduct business.
Heather Irwin directs the Tourism Cares volunteers. 
Supporting furloughed federal workers
To help federal workers and their families during the 35-day-long government shutdown, several Sonoma County restaurants and coffee shops offered free hot food, cool drinks, and a welcoming environment.  Participating restaurants included Amy's Drive Thru in Rohnert Park; Bella Rosa Coffee Company in Santa Rosa; The Casino Bar & Grill in Bodega; Duke's Common and Duke's Spirited Cocktails in Healdsburg; Michael's Sourdough Sandwiches in Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Novato, and San Rafael; and Acre Coffee in Santa Rosa and Petaluma. 
TOURISM CARES  NATIONALLY

Making an impact all year long
 
Throughout 2018, the Tourism Cares organization worked worldwide to bring the travel industry together to make a positive impact helping people and places thrive. A few highlights:
  • Tourism Cares with Jordan launched the Meaningful Travel Map of Jordan, bringing important local connections to the tourism market, and much needed tourism dollars to lesser known communities.
  • Tourism Cares for New Orleans brought the city more than $60,000 through investments in the community and volunteer labor value.
  • In the wake of 2017's unprecedented hurricane season, Tourism Cares played a critical role in mobilizing more than 350 companies and individuals, raising close to $380,000 for Florida, the Caribbean, and Texas Gulf Coast. They distributed 29 grants focused on tourism infrastructure, workforce training, and re-employment, and also invested in tourism social enterprises.
  • Tourism Cares engaged with the Coral Reef Foundation to protect and restore South Florida's coral reefs. 
For more details, visit tourismcares.org .