A convention of do-gooders arrived at the San Jose Convention
Center on Saturday night to the sound of Mariachi music and
traditionally clad beauties greeting at the staircase. Red dresses
flashed everywhere as the photographers snapped pictures of
attendees of the Silicon Valley Charity Ball during the VIP
cocktail hour.
A convention of do-gooders arrived at the San Jose Convention Center on Saturday night to the sound of Mariachi music and traditionally clad beauties greeting at the staircase. Red dresses flashed everywhere as the photographers snapped pictures of attendees of the Silicon Valley Charity Ball during the VIP cocktail hour.
There to help raise funds for area nonprofits, ball goers found their registration handled by volunteers of one of the charity’s main recipients, Rotacare.
With their head office in Morgan Hill and a free clinic in Gilroy, Rotacare volunteers at the ball came from a variety of area clinics and even organized their own party before the party at a downtown hotel.
Executive Director of Rotacare, Christine Nichols, claims most of the volunteers initially want to give back to the community but also enjoy the added benefit of finding fun friends and a larger social network. Nichols explained the ball supports the organization with a $10,000 donation in exchange for volunteer work at the event.
Rotacare workers happily attended the registration table with smiling faces and a cheerful welcome, knowing the real reason to attend the event could mean desperately needed medical care for their clients.
The free clinic in Gilroy has recently moved to Murray Avenue behind South Valley Middle School. Nichols added all of the Bay Area clinics are in desperate need of volunteer physicians and nurses with a small commitment of one day a month. Rotacare was conceived in 1989 by a physician who was also a member of Rotary.
Local Rotary chapters provide some funding and volunteer hours at the clinics, but fund-raising for the organization is ongoing. For more information about Rotacare or to volunteer go to www.rotacarebayarea.org or call Christine Nichols at (408) 779-2116.
Slipping out of the ball gown and into jeans, I found myself gorging on elk burgers at the home of Rick and Rebecca Santos during a late evening BBQ in San Martin.
Rick revealed his secret bbq techniques of sealing in the juices by cranking up the flame on the bbq then running for the garden hose to add the hose-water marinade.
I was assured the nitrate count was low. The herd of children ran amuck on the five-acre estate, catching anything that moved in the home vineyard – including waterlogged toads, bringing them inside to show the party guests.
“Take it in stride.” Rebecca had only one warning for the junior naturalists: Don’t hold the peeing toads over the carpet. The wooden flooring didn’t fair as well.
New South County residents Brian and Tonya Miller welcomed the taste of the elk burgers as homelike cuisine, being recent transplants from South Dakota.
After living in every cold and even colder regions of the country (North Dakota, Minnesota) the Millers have found the thaw refreshing. Their triplets added to the kid herd generating the liveliness of a thundering hoofed migration. Ah, the energy of youth.
No backyard BBQ is complete without the neighbor whose wife is out of town and who has an empty fridge. This spot was filled by Dave Zajac, CPA.
It’s like having Norm from Cheers over for dinner.
Where everybody’s a friend and everybody knows your name. Dave’s wife is due to be gone a little while longer if anyone is has a party that needs a part-time bachelor in attendance; tax advice optional.
Ciao for now.
