Give to Mare Island Heritage Trust 2025 Flyway Festival

Hi there, I’m Myrna Hayes, Founding President of the Mare Island Heritage Trust and the Co-founder and Director of the San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival. Will you make a donation of any amount to help us fund this year’s Flyway Festival? THERE IS A WEIRD, ALMOST INEXPLAINABLE TWIST IN THIS YEAR’S FLYWAY FESTIVAL. Will you please read and give generously as you can to fund our Feb 7-9, 2025 29th Flyway Festival. After 3 years since we had held an In-Person Wildlife Expo during our Flyway Festival traditionally headquartered on Mare Island, we HELD A LIVE EVENT in Feb 2023. Unbeknownst to us, BIZARRE things were taking place. Shortly after that fun Flyway Festival a cabal of actors planned a stealth takeover of our traditional and beloved Flyway Festival. The City of Vallejo City Manager entered into an agreement with an event planner to put on a number of events in Vallejo in Aug 2023. I was nonplussed about the lack of support I was receiving from the various partners just exactly one year ago, which led me to cancel the ‘24 Flyway Festival to regroup. IMAGINE MY SHOCK UPON LEARNING THAT A GROUP FROM NOW FORMER SENATOR DODD’S VALLEJO OFFICE, THE VALLEJO CITY MANAGERS OFFICE, MARE ISLAND COMPANY, THIS CONTRACTED EVENT COMPANY AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM PARTNERS, were holding private meetings to create and produce a stealth and “NEW” Flyway Festival. NOT in response to my passionate and heartfelt letter canceling our event, but due to advanced planning to virtually steal our event headquartered on Mare Island for 28 years. THEY ARE MAKING GOOD ON THEIR PLANS. THEY HAVE MASTERMINDED AN EVENT TO TAKE PLACE “1 week” before ours and enticed many organizations who were our partners to join them. HERE’S THE KICKER! The event company the City of Vallejo has hired has a contract to create and put on events in the town for $100,000 and not to exceed $200,000! She has already invoiced for two events. Their knock-off birdwatching festival will be another event her event co. will be paid for. WOW! Stealing a California Sec of State non-profit business’ key event! UNBELIEVABLE!

Yet, I’m being urged to hold our San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival, anyway. SO, LET’S DO IT AGAIN! Since we are no longer able to generate funds year round from operating the Mare Island Preserve that helped underwrite and keep the Flyway Festival free and we will not be receiving funds from many agencies and contributors who supported us in the past, we really need your support this year to jumpstart the upcoming Flyway Festival February 7-9, 2025. Thank you for giving to our land trust who with you has forged a wildlands community of people bonded together to celebrate our special Mare Island wilderness (wild near us). This Flyway Festival will be our 29th. It will mean so much to us that you will help us produce it in February and keep it free!

I kept this lovely little quote for myself. And, because it means so much to me, I am sharing it with you.

"Somewhere a tree remembers you because it enjoyed your company.

Somewhere a dandelion is alive and feeding a bumble because you blew on one to make a wish.

We all make a difference in the world. For most of us it is a tiny difference, but oh how adorable that difference is. (Facebook post: The Unusual Witch)

I thank you again, for the difference you make. For this earth. And, for this year's San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival. Myrna

(Thank you Pam Starr for your American kestrel photo)