Councilmember Cameron Smyth and his family met with representatives from Westfield Valencia Town Center and the WiSH Education Foundation Monday at a notable fountain within the mall that is set to be removed to kick off a donation drive for the Hart District.

“What better way to say goodbye to the fountain than to invite the community to come out and make one last wish for the Hart District,” said Smyth.

As the Westfield Valencia Town Center continues to undergo renovations, the fountain that sits just outside one of its largest retail stores, JCPenney, is set to be removed for incoming improved amenities.

Officials are encouraging the community to visit the site before the fountain is removed and wish on pennies, leaving donations to the WiSH Education Foundation behind.

“We are inviting the community to come to Valencia Town Center this week to make one last wish with the toss of a coin into the fountain,” according to a statement by Westfield Valencia Town Center officials.

Officials are set to stop accepting coin donations by Mother’s Day on May 12. All funds going to the WiSH Education Foundation support the William S. Hart Union High School District, officials said.

Westfield Valencia Town Center officials have already begun donating the funds collected from the fountain since the start of 2019.

“We came to find that we had over $3,000 in donations that were made by customers making a wish into the fountain,” said Corrine Barchanowicz, senior shopping center manager for Westfield Valencia Town Center.

The removal of the fountain is due to a $20 million renovation project that the Westfield Valencia Town Center began on the interior of the mall in February of 2019, according to officials.  

In lieu of the fountain, the new design is set to hold a community living room and gathering place, according to officials.

During special occasions, the space is also set to act as an area for entertainment and the arts.

The improved community amenities necessitate the removal of the fountain, according to Westfield Valencia Town Center officials.

The location within the shopping center has historically been a gathering and meeting place for local residents, according to officials.

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