Guest Letter

Peter Chang

PMMC hosts 50th Anniversary Gala celebration

Dear PMMC Family,

As many of you know, on Sunday, Nov. 7, the organization hosted its 50th Anniversary Gala celebration and fundraiser at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. It was an incredible honor to have so many of you in attendance. Your presence, energy and financial support that evening was truly humbling to witness. In addition, I know that even more of you participated in different ways, such as volunteering at the event, soliciting in-kind donations for our auctions, underwriting the costs of our activities, sharing the event on your social media, and/or bidding in our first ever online silent auction. 

It was a night 50 years in the making and YOU made it historic! Because of you, and the approximate 375 guests in attendance, we raised an estimated record $638,000 for our critical marine mammal rescue and rehab operations, science-based education programs and collaborative scientific research studies. The impact of your giving will inspire the next generation of ocean explorers and conservationists, strengthen our research and expand our reach throughout the communities we proudly serve.

There were so many wonderful moments throughout the evening, but the highlight was honoring and recognizing two of our co-founders, Jim Stauffer and John Cunningham and their families. Their vision and passion started us on this journey of ocean and marine mammal conservation and research a half a century ago, and the world is very much a better place because of them. We feel very fortunate to carry on their legacy.

Please enjoy these fantastic pictures from the evening as well as our special 50th Anniversary video below, featuring Michele Hunter, Director of Animal Care. Thank you for being part of our story and for joining us as we take the first steps into the next 50 years of growth and service. 

Respectfully,

Peter Chang

Chief Executive Officer

Pacific Marine Mammal Center