In loving memory, we're celebrating the life of Sandra Stone,
co-founder of the Friends of Canoa Heritage Foundation,
community leader, and friend!
I met Sandra in 2010 at a regional tourism committee meeting after she and other passionate locals were successful in saving the Historic Canoa Ranch headquarters from a large development plan to put over 6,000 homes on the 4,800 acre property, and helping to create the Canoa Ranch Master Plan for Pima County.
In 2011, we were able to include the first Anza Days celebration on the Historic Canoa Ranch with Sandra an active docent (featured above). In October 2013, we partnered with BAJA Sporting Club and the Anza Trail Coalition to bring the Anza Color Guard reenactments to what has now become an annual Anza Days event at the Ranch.
In 2014, the Friends of Canoa Heritage Foundation recognized a
need to expand our preservation efforts to include all historic sites, cultures, and communities within the Canoa Heritage Area.
With Sandra's help, the Visit Canoa eco-tourism campaign
was created, and the foundation's fundraising efforts for
Pima County were discontinued to allow the Friends of Canoa
Heritage Foundation to share resources equally with all
attractions in the Canoa Heritage Area.
Sandra was involved in developing the foundations tribal relations, helped host a tour for the National Park Service to visit Sahuarita's and the Canoa Ranch's connection to the future Juan Bautista National Historic Trail heads, and helped to create our signature attraction - the "Evolution of Canoa" art/history display at the
Canoa Ranch Rest Area on I-19.
While we support the amazing restoration efforts of Pima County to follow the Canoa Ranch Master plan and continue to promote many of the community events hosted there, it is important to note that the Friends of Canoa Heritage Foundation (Visit Canoa) does not accept, or solicit contributions on behalf of Pima County for the Historic Canoa Ranch property, and contributions to Pima County do not benefit the Friends of Canoa Heritage Foundation.
Donations in Sandra’s memory can be sent to:
Friends of Canoa Heritage Foundation
50 E. Continental Rd. Unit 914
Green Valley, AZ 85622-9998
Our mission is to preserve, protect, restore, interpret,
and share the land, cultural influence, and history
of the Canoa Heritage Area.
DISCOVER YOUR CONNECTION! VISIT CANOA TODAY!
www.VisitCanoa.com
Contributed by Dawn Morley, President, Friends of Canoa Heritage Foundation.
