Fireworks Extravaganza 2016

Monte Foundation Giving Back To The Community

By Jessica Johnson

Marc Monte might be one of the only people in town who smiles when he is stuck in traffic on Highway 1, but he has a good reason. He can see The Monte Family Skatepark alongside the freeway, which celebrated its grand opening on June 4 and that has been a welcome addition for the youth (and youthful) of Capitola and Aptos.

“I’ve wanted to build a skate park for 25 years. I’m thrilled,” Monte said.

“When you see a big project go up and the kids really enjoy it — and they’re getting outdoors – it’s all a good thing. I’m smiling ear to ear every time I drive by.”

Giving back to the community through charitable donation and fundraising is a hallmark of Marc Monte’s life. The Rudolph Monte Foundation began over twenty years ago, driven by Marc Monte’s desire to honor his Catholic upbringing and to help the children and youth of his hometown, Aptos.

Eventually, the Foundation — and the amount it was able to donate — began to grow due in large part to the Monte Foundation Fireworks Extravaganza, which was held in Aptos at Seacliff Beach for many years. At its peak, schools sold tickets to the event that featured fireworks, live music, with food and game booths staffed by parents and teachers from local schools.

As the event grew so did the headaches, and ultimately Monte opted to close down the annual fireworks show and all that went with it. “The committee said [the event] was too much so I listened,” Monte said.

Undaunted, Monte reached out to Capitola, which he recalls welcomed him “with open arms,” and after a 1-year hiatus, the show began again. This time it’s just fireworks – no live music and no food booths.

Monte, for one, enjoys it just as much, “As a small kid I grew up watching fireworks in Capitola, so it has come full circle which is kinda cool.”

By holding the fireworks in Capitola means that the money raised goes to projects in Capitola. First on the agenda was the Skatepark on McGregor Drive. While the construction of the park was delayed due to county concerns about chemicals in the soil, it did get completed and has been in near constant use since.

“It’s exciting to see a project of that size get done. That’s what it’s all about,” said Monte.

The next project is a big one too, with funds raised from this year’s show earmarked to help the construction and equipping of a new library in Capitola where the temporary one is currently located.

The current Capitola library may feel permanent because it’s been open since 2000, but it’s just temporary modular buildings. Sixteen years is beyond the intended lifespan for such structures and the library needs a permanent building.

The City of Capitola is planning to replace the current library with a new, 7,000 square-foot one by the end of June, 2018 and the Monte Foundation has pledged to contribute “as long as they want the money going there” said Monte.

The Foundation is also paying for resurfacing the tennis courts at Jade Street Park.

“Our work was more school-oriented, and now it is more community-oriented, but still reaching children and young adults,” explained Monte.

When asked about the impact of moving the fireworks – and fundraising – to Capitola, Monte expressed that he remains dedicated to the Aptos community. “I still give a lot of money through Deluxe and personally to the schools here. It’s not like I’ve abandoned my home.”

Indeed, the Monte Foundation’s generosity has spread to Lake Tahoe, where Monte has a second home. The Foundation just held it’s fourth fireworks show at Carnelian Bay with the proceeds benefitting local high school sports in the Tahoe area. Lake Tahoe, Marc said, reminds him of how Aptos was when he was younger, “It’s small, there are not a lot of people, and everyone knows one another.”

If Marc Monte sounds a little wistful it’s because he is. As he grows older he has begun to think more about the reach of the Monte Family Foundation and his role it its legacy.

“I have the best job in the world,” he shared. “Deluxe, with my management team, pretty much runs itself, and that allows me to focus on my charity work, which is what I love the most. So much of the foundation has my face on it – if something happens to me who replaces me? You know, I don’t have any children, I don’t have a wife right now… I’d like to see it all continue.”

For now, Marc Monte seems happy looking for ways to increase his commitment to charitable giving and the community – from the Skatepark to the healing garden at Dominican Hospital; from donating goods to the snack shacks at Soquel and Aptos to funding scholarships at Salesian and St. Francis.

“You know, we have a very generous community here,” he pointed out. “I’m not the only one doing this, there’s actually quite a few of us. I’m just the one who likes to talk the most!”

The 22nd Annual Rudolph Monte Family Foundation Fireworks Show will be held in Capitola on Sunday, October 9, 2016. For more information and to donate to this years project go to www.monte-foundation.com