The Coronado Flower Association (CFA) had a long history of promoting community beautification and social capital. When the coronavirus pandemic affected the world, CFA made the difficult decision to cancel its annual Flower Show event for 2020 and 2021.

 

As the December 3, 2020 board meeting drew near, President Diana Drummey reflected on the events of the past year. A devastating health pandemic had spread around the world, bringing illness, death, and trauma. It was at this meeting that Diana announced to the board that, after decades of involvement, the 100th anniversary celebration Flower Show in 2022 would be her last. Her decision was another blow to the volunteer organization.

 

Despite individual requests and public calls for support in the local paper, the CFA Board struggled to obtain the number of volunteers needed to operate the Flower Show. In light of these struggled, Diana proposed that the board consider a much larger question than how to recruit her replacement and volunteers: Is it time to dissolve the organization, or is it possible to reenergize the community around an annual tradition?