Recently, the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center New Building Campaign announced it had raised more than $450,000 since February, moving our community closer to groundbreaking on the new SCV Senior Center and reducing the total still needed to be raised to $1.3 million.

A significant portion of that sum was donated by Steve Y. Kim, owner of Sand Canyon Country Club, formerly Robinson Ranch.

In the above photo, Kim is joined by SCV Senior Center Kevin MacDonald and new building campaign co-chair Peggy Rasmussen.

Kim came to the United States in 1976 to achieve the American dream, working in a warehouse during the day and attending school at night in his pursuit to earn a master’s degree in engineering.

Five years after his graduation, Kim started a high-tech garage-based venture in the San Fernando Valley; it was a remarkable success. Kim then started his second venture – Xylan – which became one of the fastest-growing companies in Southern California. Kim sold Xylan in 1999 for $2 billion.

After remarkable entrepreneurial success in the United States, Kim moved back to Korea in 2007 in hopes of discovering a meaningful life’s purpose. That soul searching led to his creation of the DreamHopeFuture foundation, an organization committed to improving the lives of children in need.

“Robinson Ranch also gave me an opportunity to improve lives,” Kim said. The former country club had suffered dramatically from extreme drought. “When I saw it, I was determined to turn it around.”

Kim has thus far invested millions, as well as seven-days-a-week effort, into revitalizing the property, renaming it the Sand Canyon Country Club. The property will boast a 200-room resort hotel with a spa and wellness center, swimming pools, tennis and pickle-ball courts, a gourmet restaurant and much more.

“This country, and this community, gave me opportunity,” Kim said. “When I saw the new SCV Senior Center building project, I felt urged to give something back to the community and to the United States, which gave me the fair opportunity to be where I am. I am very happy to be able to do something meaningful for Santa Clarita seniors.”

“We are so very grateful to Mr. Kim for this incredibly-generous donation,” said Campaign Co-chair Peggy Rasmussen. “Because of his gift, we are much closer to our fundraising goal – which means that SCV seniors are that much closer to having access to the new building they deserve.”

“Donations from business owners and entrepreneurs like Mr. Kim are appreciated not only because these funds are vital to make our vision for the new Center a reality, but because these business professionals know a good investment when they see it – and there’s no better investment than our seniors,” said SCV Senior Center Executive Director Kevin MacDonald.

“Our hope is that, as more and more businesses and entrepreneurs continue to join our Campaign, community members who’ve yet to contribute will be encouraged to join us in our work to raise the final $1.3 million,” MacDonald said.

“We are extraordinarily grateful to Steve Kim for his generosity – and also his vision,” Rasmussen said. “As an incredibly successful tech entrepreneur and well-respected philanthropist, Mr. Kim understands the value of investing in both innovation and the people who will benefit from it. The new SCV Senior Center will be truly state of the art – and three times as large as our current Center, allowing us to serve both today’s, and tomorrow’s, senior population.”

ABOUT THE SCV SENIOR CENTER NEW BUILDING CAMPAIGN
The SCV Senior Center New Building Campaign is currently soliciting donations and community partnerships. Donations can be made online at www.NewSeniorCenter.com; by writing a check to SCVCOA-Building Fund (Memo: Capital Campaign) and mailing it to 22900 Market Street, Santa Clarita, CA 91321; calling in a credit-card donation to the SCV Senior Center (661-259-9444) or working with Executive Director MacDonald to arrange gifts of stock, securities and more (661-259-9444, extension 123). Building naming opportunities, commemorative plaques and more are available and donations are tax deductible.

ABOUT THE NEW SCV SENIOR CENTER
The 2.5-acre site of the new building is on Golden Valley Road in Santa Clarita and will serve SCV’s growing senior population and those who love them. Exciting additions to the new Center include an expanded Adult Day Program, Health & Wellness Center, Employment and Financial Centers; Culinary Arts Kitchen; multi-purpose rooms; a “living room” with fireplace and socialization area; and much more.