Bay Area native, former US treasurer leading America 250 celebrations

SAN MATEO, Calif. (KGO) -- As the nation prepares to mark its 250th birthday on July 4, the Bay Area woman leading the federal government's anniversary celebrations says the moment is deeply personal.

"I am the American Dream. My kids are the American Dream," Rosie Rios said.

Rios, a Hayward native and the daughter of immigrants, is the head of the America 250 commission, the organization coordinating celebrations around the country commemorating the nation's semiquincentennial. She said her connection to the milestone dates back to her childhood.

"I remember July 4, 1976 like it was yesterday. It was a cloudy night in Hayward, California but those fireworks were never brighter," Rios said.

Rios said that experience during the country's bicentennial helped shape a lifelong commitment to public service, including her role as the 43rd treasurer of the United States. That same spirit now guides her leadership of America 250 and the hundreds of events planned nationwide in the coming months.

"This is the moment that we hope will create this movement so we can continue this spirit and this energy," Rios said.

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One such event took place in the Bay Area last weekend. San Mateo hosted the semifinal rounds of America's Startup, a collegiate competition that brings together 30 young entrepreneurs competing for funding to launch their businesses.

Local venture capitalist Andy Tang participated in the event and said patriotism today means investing in the next generation.

"I feel like this point in America, being patriotic, it's about helping the young people feel there's hope and that their social mobility is as good as mine was," Tang said.

America's Startup is one of many events tied to the 250th anniversary celebration. Additional activities are planned throughout the summer across California and the Bay Area.

Among them is America Innovates, an event scheduled to take place later this month at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts.

Rios said she wants this year's commemoration to resonate widely, inspiring people to reflect not only on the country's past but also on its future.

"This is as much about the future as it is the past. And we honestly believe the time now, more than ever, when there is this tension of a political divide, this is the moment for this unification," Rios said.