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Yosemite's oldest non-profit support group, the Yosemite Association, celebrates 80 years of service to the park in August of this year.
To commemorate its anniversary, the association will hold a special presentation of Ranger Shelton Johnson's award winning program, "Buffalo Soldiers of the Sierra" at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum on Sunday, August 17th from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm. His living history program tells the story of the African-American soldiers who became the first "rangers" assigned to protect Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon over a hundred years ago.
Shelton began researching the Buffalo Soldiers' history after finding a photograph of the soldiers in the Yosemite Research Library. He recalls that "for me, as an African-American park ranger, seeing this photograph was like stumbling into my own family while traveling in a foreign country." Shelton recently received the prestigious Freeman Tilden Award for this region, honoring his work on the Buffalo Soldiers program.
The event also includes a private showing at the museum of The Epic Landscape of California Exhibition, and a selection of Ansel Adams photographs. Yosemite Association president Steven Medley will also give a presentation highlighting the association's history and its eight decades of service to Yosemite. Wine, soft drinks, and light hors d'oeuvres will be served. Admission to the program is $20 for Yosemite Association members and $25 for non-members. Due to space limitations only 150 attendees can be accommodated. Those who wish to sign up for the party should call 209-379-2646 by August 11.
The Yosemite
Association, the first support group in Yosemite and the first national park
cooperating association in the country, is proud of its accomplishments over
the past 80 years. They include contributing more than $10 million to aid
park programs in Yosemite, and operating bookstores in various Visitor Centers
throughout the park. Y.A. looks forward to making even greater contributions
to the park in the new century. To learn more about the Yosemite Association
or this special anniversary event call 209-379-2646.
July 23, 2003
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