A charity flower sale benefiting local youth has set a new
fundraising record of nearly $50,000.
Annual Flower Sale Sets Record
Gilroy – A charity flower sale benefiting local youth has set a new fundraising record of nearly $50,000.
Throngs of people swarmed the greenhouses of Goldsmith Seed Company on Saturday and helped drive the Gilroy Rotary Club’s annual sale to a new record of $48,668. Each year, the business nestled on farmland off Hecker Pass Highway sells the leftovers from its spring trials to benefit the Rotary Club. This year’s sales figure top the 2005 record of $46,387.
“That’s probably the largest crowd of people I’ve ever seen when we were ready to open the doors at 8 o’clock,” said Craig Gartman, a councilman who leads organizing efforts for the event. “People started showing up at about 6:30 – 6:45am.”
The sale typically draws a strong showing because it allows home gardeners a chance to buy some of the best engineered and maintained plants on the market. The sale has taken place for the past 17 years, after representatives from major seed distributors, growers and other industry groups have cleared out of the Goldsmith greenhouses.
The charity event has typically raised more than $35,000 annually in recent years, with half the funds go to area youth programs and the remainder supports horticultural scholarships for local students. This year, a portion of sales of the featured plant – a disease-resistant species known as the Vinca Cora – will help promote sustainable agriculture in Ethiopia and Haiti.
Putting a Stop to School Bullies
Gilroy – Brownell Middle School is hosting an assembly for parents and students to discuss how to discourage bullying at Brownell. The event is part of a program put in place by principal Joe DiSalvo looking to eliminate instances of intimidation and victimization at the school. It takes place at 6:30pm tonight at Brownell, 7800 Carmel St. The school will be raffling off prizes.
Details: 847-3377
Homebuyer Help Available
Gilroy – The city of Gilroy is offering loans through its Homebuyer Assistance Program, each up to $50,000, to income eligible households. The program is open to Gilroy residents and city and Gilroy Unified School District employees seeking to purchase a home in Gilroy.
The City is hosting a free workshop to provide additional information on this program from 6 to 7pm Wednesday, May 2, at the Gilroy City Hall Council Chambers, 7351 Rosanna St.
Details: (408) 846-0242, rb*****@*********ca.us, http://www.ci.gilroy.ca.us/
Free Film Series for Adults Continues
Gilroy – Adults ages 55 and up can participate in a free class/film series through the Gavilan College Department of Noncredit Instruction. Humanities 767, “Film Classics” is designed to study the facts, fantasy, history and trivia of classic and modern films. Upcoming films are:
May 2 – “Kramer vs. Kramer,” May 9 – “On Golden Pond;” May 16 – “Driving Miss Daisy;” and May 23 – “The Usual Suspects.”
All films will be screened at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse on Wednesday afternoons from 2 to 5pm, now through June 6. Students may register in class, or may call in advance to 848-4859.
Send news items to City Editor Robert Airoldi. FAX to 842-2206, mail to Gilroy Dispatch, 6400 Monterey Road, Gilroy, CA 95020, or e-mail ed****@****ic.com.
