Community: Leadership Gilroy 2022 class invites community to celebrate veterans
Oct 1 event will include children singing patriotic songs
Members of the Leadership Gilroy class of 2022 invite residents to join them from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 1, at the Veterans Hall for an open house and flagpole dedication. Photo courtesy Leadership Gilroy
By Marty Cheek
The Leadership Gilroy class of 2022 invites members of the community to enjoy a celebration of those who served in the military.
Their class project was the renovation of the flagpole in front of the Veterans Hall in downtown Gilroy. They also raised about $35,000 in donations to fund the remodeling of the hall’s kitchen. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Vets Hall, they are holding an open house to thank the people who helped with the project as well as encourage local residents to help support the kitchen remodel.
The event is called “A Salute to Our Veterans” where local dignitaries will speak and students will sing patriotic songs. There will be light brunch bites as well as a benefit drawing.
It also serves as a fundraiser that includes a silent auction to help raise additional money, with a goal of $50,000. The project still needs another $100,000 to $150,000 to get it done.
“From the beginning, when our class decided on the project, which didn’t take long for us because we asked what we were passionate about, we went directly to the Vets Hall,” said class member Giovanni Albanese Jr. “We learned there were a lot of things they really need to upgrade their facilities.”
At the event, there will be a dedication of the renovated flagpole, which was part of the building when it was constructed in the 1950s, he said. There were safety concerns regarding raising and lowering the flag, and the class’s renovation completed Sept. 3 enables easier access on the ground level.
“The men and women who went up to change it had to climb a 10-foot ladder just to access this wire and raise and lower the flag,” Albanese said.
A remodel of the hall’s commercial-scale kitchen will open the building to more rentals. The county will not allow people renting the hall for weddings and other events to use the kitchen, which is essentially in its original condition, and so that limits rental opportunities.
“Not much has changed in that kitchen — maybe the refrigerator,” Albanese said. “But the oven, sinks, they’re all decades old. And in order for them to have public events that involve sit-down meals, they need to update that facility so it meets current (county) Health Department codes.”
Food at the Vets Hall must be cooked elsewhere by the caterer. Renting the hall is a primary source of revenue for the South Santa Clara Valley Memorial District, which owns the Vets Hall.
The veterans appreciate the work members of the class put into renovating the flagpole and organizing the Oct. 1 fundraiser, said Gabe Perez, a member of the hall’s board of directors. ““This donation will make a significant impact on our efforts to remodel the kitchen,” he said. “A new kitchen will allow us to better host veterans and community events. We couldn’t do what we do – helping local veterans – without the support of the community and organizations like Gilroy Leadership. This type of collaboration only makes Gilroy stronger!”
Students in the Leadership Gilroy graduation class of 2022 are: Amanda Reedy, Cindy McCormick, Danny Molina, Denise Besson, Eric Blake, Erin Gemar, Giovanni Albanese, Kelly De La Rosa, Kim Benjamin, Lisa McClure, Manny Bhandal, Maria Cid, Maria Alfaro, Monica Valdez, Renee Garcia, Samantha Sicard, Tina Tovar, Tori Schriver, Traci Gorman, and Zain Yahya.