Don Christopher is the man who keeps on giving, and as such the
Gilroy Chamber of Commerce has selected him as its man of the year
for the second time.
Don Christopher is the man who keeps on giving, and as such the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce has selected him as its man of the year for the second time.
In the 43-year history of the award, nobody else has received it twice – but then again, nobody else has dazzled residents as has Christopher with his spirit and his multi-million dollar zeal for philanthropy.
As just a few examples of the garlic mogul’s generosity: he contributed $1.5 million to the Gilroy Foundation for the future downtown arts center and he gave the Gilroy Unified School District $6 million worth of land and an additional $800,000 for an endowment at the new high school that bears his name.
“He just continually gives and gives and gives to the community,” said Brian Bowe, executive director of the Garlic Festival Association, which runs the Gilroy Garlic Festival – the annual event Christopher co-founded in 1978 with Val Filice and Rudy Melone.
“You just can’t say enough about him,” added Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Susan Valenta. “Everything that he does has been all about Gilroy.”
And he does it with a slight smile and the same vision he had 53 years ago when he and his brother, Art Christopher, bought a small plot of farmland here and planted the first round of Gilroy’s now iconic crop. About four decades later, John Perales’ mom got a job at the garlic ranch as a sorter, and growing up, the young man said he only caught whiffs of Christopher’s gusto. As Christopher High School’s inaugural principal, though, Perales said he first saw what everybody admires in Christopher last September, before voters approved the $150 million bond to finish construction at the new high school. At that time, Perales said he was pulling his hair and praying to find funding for programs at the school. Then Christopher called.
“He said, ‘How does $75,000 sound?’ I was floored, absolutely floored,” Perales said.
But it gets better. A couple months later, Christopher called again, only this time offering a whopping $800,000 as seed money for an endowment, for which the school board formally honored him Thursday night.
“He’s leaving behind something my kids and my kids’ kids will benefit from,” Perales said. “It’s been a blast getting to know him and to share with his excitement.”
Despite all his generosity, Christopher’s own mouth drops every now and then when he thinks about the high school baring his name.
“I never even imagined in all my wildest dreams that this would happen,” he said. “I don’t really think the young people really know who I am. You know, young people are not interested in anybody over 35.”
Young people except his wife Karen’s three grandchildren, who live next door to the semi-retired 74-year-old and come over in the mornings for pancakes, toast and eggs, both scrambled and “volcano-style,” he said.
“He’s just so kind and nurturing, and he has a big heart and a good sense of humor and he loves to have fun,” said Karen Christopher, his wife for the past nine years.
After breakfast, it’s off to Christopher Ranch for a few hours, where continued competition from China and the wilting economy at home have hurt direct sales to restaurants, but not to chains such as Safeway and Costco, Don Christopher said.
“Farming is a good place to be during a recession because people keep eating,” Don Christopher said. “Plus, it takes so little garlic to flavor your food.”
As for Gilroy’s future, Don Christopher declined to play soothsayer but the former farm boy who enjoys riding horses said he sees nothing but good things for the city because of its location, the school district’s auspicious future and the collection of retailers that keep residents shopping here.
“We’re in a really good position,” Don Christopher said. “I really look forward to coming home whenever I’m away.”
Even in Maui, Hawaii, from which he and his wife recently returned with tans after a three week stay. At the end of March, Don Christopher and one of his two sons, Bill Christopher, will fly to New York to see the younger Christopher’s new Manhattan condo and to also watch the Gilroy High School Chamber Singers perform at Carnegie Hall. All this back and forth can tire Don Christopher out, so he has decided to stop attending Elks Lodge meetings, but he still belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club.
“He doesn’t just have one project he’s attached to,” Mayor Al Pinheiro said. “It’s one thing to be a successful person and use your money for your family and self, but it’s another thing to be as successful as Don and have his generosity and impact on the community.”
