Herded through the large metal garage doors, guests spilled into
the warehouses at Christopher Ranch, took their seats, tied their
bibs and waited for their meal.
Herded through the large metal garage doors, guests spilled into the warehouses at Christopher Ranch, took their seats, tied their bibs and waited for their meal.
Crab! Crab! Crab! Crab! Crab! Crab!
The chants bellowed from patrons who had consumed enough bread and salad and eagerly wanted to move on to the star of the evening.
I have never heard so many hungry people work so well, in unison no less, to get what they want. Obviously they had done this before – a few times.
Banging their fists on the table, pleading, demanding even, yet all in good fun, as the Gilroy High coaches and volunteers rushed back and forth delivering the main course … all-you-can-eat crab cioppino.
The 30th Annual Crab Cioppino Feed and Dance on Saturday night, the epitome of a community-based bonanza, attracted about 950 guests, GHS athletic director Jack Daley said, a number that is up from last year’s gathering, despite competing against Game 5 of the Western Conference quarterfinals between the Sharks and Red Wings.
“Everyone was pleased with the way things went,” Daley said Monday. “We can seat about 1,000 in the three barns and we had people seated at all the tables. It was a significantly bigger attendance than last year.”
Soon enough, the masses had sauce-stained fingers, demolished roll after roll of paper towels and quenched their thirst with glass upon glass of red wine.
It didn’t matter if your shirt was spotted with sauce, or you held a five-minute conversation with a piece of crab shell stuck to your forehead, the night was filled with food, friends, music, dancing and most importantly camaraderie.
Servers met every need with patience, keeping the red wine flowing … the best way to ensure people continue in good spirits – although I don’t think anything could detour one single person in those barns from having a pleasant evening. Old high school friends re-acquainted with one another and families refused to get up from their seats until the last possible moment. I’ve been to my fair share of night clubs and bars and it isn’t often that everyone gets along.
My fiance and I were warmly greeted by everyone we encountered. The two couples seated closest to us came prepared with claw crackers. Apparently I looked like I needed the help of one. They offered, but I stubbornly refused, determined to conquer the slippery crab legs.
Updates of the hockey game, a 2-1 Sharks’ win, were given throughout the occasion, which seemed to be plenty for the revelers,dancing the night away to house band The Cruzers’ covers of “Brick House” and “Sweet Home Alabama.”
Proceeds from ticket sales, beverage sales and money gathered from a silent auction, as always are put toward a year’s worth of transportation for the school’s student-athletes. The atmosphere was electrifying.
The issue of funding for high school athletics remains a hot-button issue. The threat of budget cuts are always looming and beyond the good time, the Crab Feed’s significance to Gilroy High’s athletic program is what carries the largest importance. To see nearly 1,000 people show up for an event, whether or not they care where their $50 goes, just purchasing tickets is doing a great service and goes a long way.
“It’s always good to see former students and see what they are up to,” Daley said. “It’s good to see that they are supporting what we are doing.”
