Dia De Los Mulligans golf tournament to raise funds in support of La Colonia Community Foundation

After building their “forever home” in Solana Beach’s La Colonia neighborhood, Chad Arendsen and his wife Amber, a fourth-generation La Colonia resident, wanted to help chart the historic community’s future.

Arendsen said he saw “the writing on the wall in terms of the gentrification that would be inevitable in La Colonia,” and wanted to help make sure the community and its longtime residents could still create their own destiny.

Gentrification has already played a large role in shaping the La Colonia community, where Mexican farmers settled more than 100 years ago because of racist zoning policies that prevented them from living in Rancho Santa Fe and other places they worked.

Land values have skyrocketed over the years, making it profitable for longtime residents to sell their homes and move elsewhere, and making it harder for the younger generations to afford the rising rents.

Arendsen said two upcoming events represent the dual focus of the La Colonia Community Foundation, where he serves as a board member.

The annual Dia De Los Muertos celebration in La Colonia Park brings the community together to maintain long-standing traditions. And Dia De Los Mulligans golf tournament, which returns for its second year on Oct. 30 at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club, raises money that the foundation uses to help build the future of La Colonia. The event is presented by Designer Window Supply.

The event will start at 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony, followed by golf and then a cocktail hour with standup comedy at Tony’s Jacal. There will also be awards, prizes, a live auction and other entertainment.

Arendsen said the goal is to build on the $2,500 that they were able to raise for the La Colonia Community Foundation last year at the inaugural Dia De Los Mulligans.

“This year we decided we wanted to go a little bit bigger,” he added, “bring the event to the community of Solana Beach so that it wasn’t in another city, and really just focus on providing more awareness to the community and what it does, and what our foundation does.”

With a professional background in building, Arendsen said his goal is also to educate residents about real estate and tactics for using it to create generational wealth and a community that endures.

He also said that the long-term goal of the La Colonia Community Foundation is to create a model that other communities can use to maintain their cultures and historic ties.

“It’s not just a business model for La Colonia, even though that’s where we’re starting,” Arendsen said. “La Colonia is the case study, and once we’re able to be successful and show success with this foundation in creating a community voice, we plan on teaching other communities how to do this on their own.”

All are invited to attend this event. Find more information at diadelosmulligans.com.