2019 End of Year Review

Dear Lomita Railroad Museum Supporter -

We at the Lomita Railroad Museum Foundation sincerely thank you for your continued financial support and attendance at our museum events over the past year. As 2019 ends and 2020 begins, we would like to update you on this past year’s events.

With donors like you, corporate sponsors and fundraising events throughout the year, we have been able to raise over $15,000 in 2019. This money will be used to help underwrite the cost of repairing the 1913 wooden boxcar located at the museum’s annex park and installing outdoor signage around the museum grounds to explain the history and significance of our major items on display. Another upcoming need we must plan for is to repaint the Mogul locomotive and tender car.

Your generous donations are essential to our providing support for these and other special needs facing our museum. We invite you to join us in helping preserve steam-era railroading history in this unique setting. And we invite you to help us make the Lomita Railroad Museum an even more exciting experience for our many visitors of all ages.

Become a new member or renew your membership today in Friends of the Lomita Railroad Museum. In addition to knowing that you are contributing to a very worthy cause, your tax-free donation will provide you with free admission to the museum, a 25% discount on facility rentals for birthday parties or other events, and a 10% discount on all museum Gift Shop purchases.

Whether you join at an Individual, Family or higher level, 100% of your donated dollars go directly to this very worthy cause. Can we count on you? Learn more about becoming a member and making a donation.

Our 2019 events included our 12^th Annual Tea at the Museum fundraiser in May, with tea sandwiches, many different types of tea, yummy desserts, beautiful table decorations, a presentation by one of our Board members on Golden Spike Day, and a jazz band entertaining over 80 loyal supporters of the museum.

Community Day in August, a free event to the community at large, included complimentary museum admission, local crafters and businesses selling their wares, working model railroad trains, food and ice cream, and family entertainment to over 600 attendees throughout the day.

We were very pleased to bring back our OctoberFest fundraiser this year. Over 85 attendees enjoyed the first ever Taste of Lomita with delicious appetizers and drink provided by numerous local eateries. We also enjoyed great music and dancing provided by our favorite DJ Mike and an exciting night of poker, black jack, and roulette!

And finally Santa & Polar Express at the Museum in December. Who doesn't want a picture with Santa Claus? Family members of all ages also enjoyed readings of the book "Polar Express" in our yellow caboose, hot chocolate, crafts, balloon animals, face painting, cookie decorating, and Christmas carols by the Coastliners Barbershop Chorus, Healing Song Ministry, and DJ Mike. It was a very happy day for almost 600 attendees - infants to great grandparents.

These events, and other activities hosted by Lomita City Parks & Recreation, raise money as well as increase the museum’s visibility across Southern California. Local schools hold class visits to the museum, museum staff host StoryTime readings for our very young visitors, and of course, Easter Egg hunts and Halloween Haunted Museum are exciting draws. And this year, the U.S. Post Office held a special event at our museum celebrating the issuance of the new Golden Spike Day commemorative stamp.

In addition, our Foundation volunteers enthusiastically manage the museum website, FaceBook page, and other social media and email outreach to help us get the word out about what is going on at the museum. As a result of incredibly hard work by these volunteers and museum staff, and thanks to extensive word-of-mouth & social media promotion by supporters like you, attendance to the museum continues to rise.

Once again, we ask you to show your support by joining the Friends of Lomita Railroad Museum and we hope to see you at our 2020 museum events.

Thank you again for your support and we wish you a very Happy New Year!

Susie Dever
Foundation President