Despite the rain, roughly 35 people were in attendance at a
candlelight vigil held at sunset Tuesday behind Gilroy City Hall to
honor all that have been harmed by alcohol and substance abuse.
By Aaron Carnes – Special to the Dispatch
Despite the rain, roughly 35 people were in attendance at a candlelight vigil held at sunset Tuesday at the Gilroy Senior Center to honor all that have been harmed by alcohol and substance abuse.
The attendees included Mayor Al Pinheiro, Gilroy Police Department Chief Denise Turner and members of Communities United in Prevention Youth Advocates – an organization of high school students affiliated with the South County Collaborative Communities United in Prevention.
“We wish to create awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving and underage drinking,” added John Blaettler, a South County Collaborative board member.
The organization sponsored the third annual event.
Turner took the opportunity to urge teen attendees to get involved in their community and reduce incidents of drunken driving.
“Ask your friends at school not to drink and drive. Let’s work together to stop this,” Turner said.
Capt. Jim Saxon, with the California Highway Patrol, offered a warning to the teen-agers about drinking and driving.
“Traffic collisions are the No. 1 cause for teenage fatalities,” Saxon said.
The students of Youth Advocates were aware of the dangers they faced. They displayed anti-drinking and driving signs as part of a contest for the vigil.
Some of their slogans included, “Save a deer, don’t drink beer” and “When you drink and drive, more than one life is on the line.”
Robert Carrasco, 16, was happy he joined Youth Advocates on a teacher’s recommendation.
“I had friends that were alcoholics,” said Carrasco, adding the group has helped him gain more perspective in life. “My relationships were damaged because of drinking. I don’t want that to happen again.”
Art Barron, program director with the nonprofit Mexican American Community Service Agency, passed out candles to everyone. “At this time we’d like to take a moment of silence for everyone that needs help,” Barron said.
Everyone was quiet as the lights glowed in remembrance.
Afterward, a raffle was held for the students. Nine Starbucks gift cards and two $50 dollar gift certificates for groceries at Arteaga’s were given out as prizes.
The Youth Advocates have shown their involvement in the community in a variety of other ways. In 2007, they attended City Council meetings in the successful effort to pass the Social Host Ordinance.
The ordinance fines adults up to $2,000 for serving underage drinkers at house parties. Before the ordinance passed, the police simply broke up parties and sent everybody home, Barron said.
