Bill Walton: New Central Library a Slam Dunk for San Diego

“There is no greater mission; there is no grander goal…”

f you heard Bill Walton speak these strong words out of context, you might think he was talking about an NBA Championship. That would mean you didn’t really know Bill Walton. I You may remember his stunning basketball career or his success as a broadcaster. But if you REALLY know Bill, you know “eclectic” is an apt description. His passions go well beyond sports to include family, the Grateful Dead, and education. Especially education.

The San Diego native and Helix High School graduate was raised in a home Bill Walton celebrates the New that loved the value of learning. His mother Gloria, a City librarian for more Central Library groundbreaking than 20 years, became an inspiration for Bill and many others. on July 28, 2010.

“Countless people still come up to me to this day and tell me how my “We can’t afford not to mother changed their lives,” he says.

[build the New Central Bill is excited to be part of that family tradition. As an active New Central Library champion, he understands the benefits this new civic Library].” asset will have on students today and for generations to come.

The New Central Library will provide expanded space – more than twice the square footage – for books and research materials, and will feature a vibrant Youth Service Center, Teen Center and fully‐staffed Homework Center to cater to the more than 35 schools located within a two mile area of the Library.

“We can’t afford not to do this,” Bill recently told the City Council. “We can either start building this library today or start building prisons tomorrow.”

For more information on the New Central Library please visit here. To join Bill in supporting this vital project, contact the San Diego Public Library Foundation at 619‐238‐6636 or donate now.

820 E Street • San Diego, CA 92101 • 619‐238‐6638 • www.supportymylibrary.org