Skip Bloom has had a hand in the development of over 1,000
football players during his 26 years of coaching at Gilroy
High.
Now the San Jose fire captain and freshman football coach is
trying to organize a family reunion of sorts, bringing together
players from three different decades to celebrate their time as
Mustangs.
Skip Bloom has had a hand in the development of over 1,000 football players during his 26 years of coaching at Gilroy High.
Now the San Jose fire captain and freshman football coach is trying to organize a family reunion of sorts, bringing together players from three different decades to celebrate their time as Mustangs.
Inspired by a Gavilan football reunion held by former Rams coach Bobby Garcia in 2003, which commemorated the 30-year anniversary of the 1973 national championship team, Bloom is pulling out all the stops. In addition to a dinner, live band, disc jockey and raffle, the event, which has a luau theme and will be featuring professional Polynesian Fire dancers, will also be handing out scholarships to three Gilroy football players from this past season’s squad.
The selected players will each receive a couple thousand dollars from the “Al Bloom Voice of the Mustangs Scholarship Fund.”
“We will be giving three scholarships to former players who are less privileged, the ones who epitomize GHS kids that work their butts off,” Bloom said.
After watching the football career of NFL quarterback and GHS grad Jeff Garcia, Bobby’s son, take off over the years, Bloom said “it’s been really neat to see him play and grow.” The coach is just as interested to find out where life has taken the other kids he has coached.
“We want anybody to come,” Bloom said.
The event, which Bloom hopes will draw over 200 former players and their families, will take place Saturday, June 7, at Gilroy Gardens. Tickets for the event will cost $30 for adults and $20 for students. For more information or to reserve tickets, contact Skip Bloom at sb***@*ol.com or (408) 666-4787.
