Gilroy Rodeo returning soon
The Gilroy Rodeo returns Aug. 13-15 after a hiatus in 2020.
The three-day event will feature live music and line dancing, as well as traditional rodeo events including bull riding, team roping and more.
Before the Gilroy Rodeo’s debut in 2018, Gilroy had not had a major rodeo since the Gilroy Gymkhana, which ran from 1929 to 1956, featuring a parade and rodeo of a Wild West theme. Other smaller events lasted into the 1990s.
The rodeo takes place at 2365 Dunlap Ave. For information and tickets, visit gilroyrodeo.com.
Enrollment help at Gavilan College
Gavilan College will help students enroll in classes at the Smart Start Days event.
Staff will be available to help new students complete an admission application, apply for financial aid and register for Fall classes.
Students can also enter into a raffle to win a laptop or $100 Grubhub gift card.
The event will take place Aug. 5 from 6-8pm, Aug. 6 from 10am-noon and Aug. 7 from 10am-1pm at the Gavilan College Business Building, 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd. in Gilroy.
To reserve a spot in the free event, visit tinyurl.com/3bd84bmm.
Blood drive scheduled to combat shortage
The American Red Cross, which has an emergency need for lifesaving blood amid an ongoing shortage, is hosting a blood drive in Gilroy.
The drive will take place at LDS Gilroy, 7999 Miller Ave., on Aug. 12 from 12:30-6:30pm.
The Red Cross has been distributing about 12 percent more blood products to hospitals across the U.S. compared to this time last year, according to the organization. The Red Cross needs to collect more than 1,000 additional blood donations each day to meet the current hospital demand and end the severe blood shortage.
Donors of all blood types are needed, especially type O, which currently stands at a one-day supply.
To thank donors, all who come to give through Aug. 15 will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to the sold-out 2021 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Those who come to donate throughout August will also receive a free four-month subscription offer to Apple Music by email (new subscribers only). More details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/FeelTheBeat.
To schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1.800.733.2767.
County Animal Services awarded grant
Santa Clara County Animal Services was among 27 organizations statewide that received a grant from the California Animal Welfare Funders Collaborative (CAWFC) which recently awarded nearly $300,000 in grants to 27 organizations to make the largest possible impact for homeless pets across the state.
The $6,800 awarded will go toward identification supplies.
“Last year was an untraditional year in our state’s animal shelters,” said Kaylee Hawkins, pacific region director for Best Friends Animal Society, which is among the funders of the CAWFC. “By taking our Covid-19 operating learnings and applying them to our ‘new normal,’ we’re seeing services improving for both the people and pets in our communities across California. CAWFC is honored to provide funding to help make those operational pivots a new reality.”
