Discovery Poker Tournament 2024
A special shoutout to all 36 players who showcased their poker prowess! The 4-hour tournament was a riot of laughter, cheering, and high fives. We had to shut the doors not just to allow our poker players to focus but also to contain the uproarious cheers and laughter emanating from the room.
Massive gratitude to our four table sponsors—Carlsbad Strawberry Company, California Watersports, The Inspectors of Election, and Mario Cuneo. Your support brought life to these vibrant tables, and we couldn't have done it without you.
Let's hear it for our winners! Your poker face rivals Lady Gaga's, and you proved it on the felt.
First Place: Glen Frick, who walks away with a one-week stay at ANY Grand Pacific Resort location & a bottle of Venom Vodka.
Second Place: Glynn Shaw Jr, securing a Heron’s House Wine Experience with AHLF’s CEO & 5 friends.
Third Place: Kevin Shin, winning 2 tickets to the 2024 Discovery Gala ~ Lagoon's Eleven.
Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who joined us for this exhilarating event. Your participation made it an unforgettable night of fun and friendly competition!
If you did not win, get your practice in because you will have an opportunity to win big again during our 2024 Discovery Gala ~ Lagoon’s Eleven on August 24th at the Westin Resort.
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Members Make It Happen On Saturday, October 17, members of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation gathered at the Discovery Campus for our Annual Members Meeting and the official ribbon cutting of Discovery Island. Thirty two voting memberships were represented as we ratified, re-elected and elected our Board of Directors, celebrated a year of impact, and looked ahead to what comes next for the lagoon and the people who love it. Thank you to Señor Grubby’s for providing the breakfast bar and to Peak Dentistry, our Campus Coffee Sponsor. Our 2026 Board of Directors Members voted on the following board members: Ratified: Laurie Gonzalez, Anne Master, Christina Nichols, Ray Pearson and Mike Stoliker Re-elected: Frank Ortega and Taylor Sais Newly elected: Jenna Dotson and Michael Metts We extended a heartfelt thank you to Julie Gibbs for her two years of leadership as Chairwoman. Julie continues on the board as our Immediate Past Chairwoman. We also welcomed our new executive slate: Chair: Frank Ortega (previously Vice Chair) Vice Chair: Michael Metts Treasurer: Steve Baker (returning) Secretary: Vinit Ahooja (returning) A Year of Impact and a Look Ahead Members reviewed our Annual Impact 2026 report , then turned to the future of our educational programs and our niche: exceptional environmental education. A few highlights: Accreditation: Our certification with the American Camp Association is in process. Little Agua Learners: We are assembling our licensing documents for the Little Agua Learners Licensed Preschool. City designation: We received a designation letter from the City of Carlsbad expanding our business classification from travel serving visitor commercial and gift shop to include education. Fire safety: We completed the fire inspection updates required for licensing. The David C. Copley Foundation: We were invited to apply for the foundation’s invitation only grant in January. Nordson: Big cheers to Nordson for supporting our Academy for Environmental Stewardship with $25,000, and for their partnership with us throughout the year. Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians: The Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians has made a three year commitment at the $5,000 Community Partnership level. California Climate Action Corps: AHLF is proud to be a host site for the California Climate Action Corps, a State of California program. We welcomed a new fellow for the year and look forward to welcoming a winter fellow in January. Thank you to the many community partners who make our work possible. Celebrating Our Board Rookie of the Year: Anne Master. Anne jumped in from day one. She has shown up to every event and took on the review and editing of our bylaws. The updated bylaws are now available on our website . Board Member of the Year: Frank Ortega. Frank volunteers twice a week on campus and on the trails, and no job is too dirty for him. One moment stands out: on one of the hottest days of the year, Frank helped carry a refrigerator up 17 flights of stairs. All in the name of service. Thank you, Frank! Discovery Island Is Officially Open The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce joined us to cut the ribbon on Discovery Island, our newest exhibit space at the Discovery Campus. We were honored to receive a proclamation from Senator Catherine Blakespear’s office marking the occasion. Kent Zapata shared remarks as we officially announced the opening. Kent is supporting one of Discovery Island’s featured exhibits, Jennifer Muller’s Water Lab, with a pledge of $5,000 a year for two years. The Water Lab honors the memory of Jennifer Muller, whose passion for clean water and STEM education continues to inspire young engineers, scientists and environmental warriors. The Water Lab will be an interactive water station where visitors and students watch water move through different substrates. It will also host Watershed Wednesday talks as part of our Discover and Learn series.
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