Submitted by Rebecca Marie Downey Yim
Many know my mother, Carrie Downey, as the petite yet forceful Councilwoman passing out pins for the Lions Club White Canes Weekend to raise money for the blind, or putting together the Summer Seasons’ Concert in the Park. Lucky for me, I have had the privilege of seeing a side of this woman that most would never see. She has been my role model since day one, and there has never been any person more qualified to be our mayor, than my mother.
We moved here in 1994 and I’ve watched her serve this community for 22 years, growing up by her side as she made chili for the Junior Woman’s Club chili cook off, volunteered to help for Gold Rush day in elementary school, manned the Children’s Booth at the Flower Show, fed the homeless at Rachel’s House, and in December, have my sisters and I join her for a session of Christmas caroling for the hospital and assisted living center. Given, my sisters and I were typically roped into participating at many of her volunteer activities as we were a free set of hands, but it provided me the opportunity to observe first-hand all that she has given back to the Coronado community.
At home, she has always been supermom. Managing a full-time job, raising three daughters and then 8 years ago helping with 2 step-sons, managing more clubs than I can count, all while battling Multiple-Sclerosis, is no easy task, but she has done it for more than twenty years with her head high and a sincere smile. Even during a busy week, she always made herself available for any questions, adolescent me had, whether it was why Coronado didn’t have an In-n-Out on island (still questioning) or why we had to start conserving water. She has been my rock, and she treats Coronado as she does her family: with care, patience, and understanding.
Knowing my mother has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and she has more strength of character than anyone else I have ever met. Whether you see it or not, she has fought for the good of the island for all my life, and continues to do so, keeping our island community at the front of her priorities. I am positive you see her drive to serve the city of Coronado to the best of her abilities through all that she has done, and it comes from the heart of someone who cares for the home she chose to raise her family in. Coronado is and will forever be our family, so I hope you will join this Radical Rabbit in trusting my mother to make a bigger difference for the good of our home and vote for Carrie Downey for Mayor.
Rebecca Marie Downey Yim, (CHS 2012)
