Gilroy
– Santa visited the Eigleberry neighborhood Wednesday evening,
in a celebration that was a testament to the street’s newfound
sense of community.
By Lori Stuenkel
Gilroy – Santa visited the Eigleberry neighborhood Wednesday evening, in a celebration that was a testament to the street’s newfound sense of community.
Hundreds of families gathered at the Veteran’s Hall on the corner of Eigleberry and Sixth streets for the Gilroy Eigleberry Neighborhood Association’s first major Christmas bash – a turnout that even surprised event organizers.
“It was overwhelming: We were excited and overwhelmed at the same time,” said Art Barron, GENA president.
At 6:30pm, a half hour after the party started, at least 300 people were crowded into the hall, and about 100 more lined the Sixth Street sidewalk up to the hall’s entrance.
Inside, families gathered around tables decorated lavishly in green and red, with holiday balloons and streamers. They lined up to receive a meal of tamales, rice and beans, carnitas, or hot dogs for the children. Some went straight for dessert: pan dulce, popcorn, candy canes or freshly spun cotton candy. GENA purchased the tamales at a discount from a church group, and for a while, organizers were worried there wouldn’t be enough food to go around. But with volunteers heading out to purchase more supplies, they actually ended the night with more than enough.
Two celebrity guests were the highlight of the night: Santa Claus and Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, making his first Gilroy public appearance since winning the NABF featherweight world title. Both were met with cheers from adults and children alike, and both greeted the crowd waiting outside before making their way indoors.
“Are you real?” one boy asked Santa, played by Joe Matteucci, and glancing suspiciously at Claus’s black sandals.
“Of course I’m real,” was the answer, met with apparent satisfaction.
A little farther down the line, Santa spoke in Spanish to a small girl, who was surprised at his multi-lingual abilities.
“Santa has to know every language,” Santa explained to her. “I can speak English, Spanish, French, German – everything.”
Once Santa made it inside, he held each child in his lap and sent them off with an age-appropriate present, from dolls and stuffed animals to radios and portable CD players. Councilman Charlie Morales, who attended the party and spoke with the crowd, arranged for the donation of presents by Designer Furniture Warehouse.
Maria Zendejas was one of those who had to wait outside, along with her three-year-old triplets, niece, and nephew, before getting to visit with Santa and eat some snacks.
“We’ll wait around for a while,” she said. “The kids want to see Santa.”
Zendejas’ nephew, 11-year-old Jose Betancourt, said he would ask for a skateboard.
“‘Cause I always go skateboarding with my friend Daniel” at the skate park, he said.
Their wait eventually paid off.
“It all worked out because every kid that stuck around – even at the line outside – got a present and a picture with Santa,” Barron said.
Two women from Morgan Hill brought their children to the party specifically to meet Guerrero. They snapped their camera as he autographed pictures for each of them.
“It’s great that he does this,” Martha Bustamante said.
“He’s the next Oscar De La Hoya,” her friend Shirley Dennis said. “We try to go to all his local events.”
During a smaller GENA get-together last year, neighbors showered presents on the association’s adopted family. On Wednesday, several families received early Christmas gifts given away in a raffle, including three decorated Christmas trees, a turkey, $100 gift certificates to stores like Target and Old Navy, gift certificates for haircuts, and goodie bags full of shampoo products.
“It was a great event,” Barron said. “We were talking about it already, we need a bigger place for next year.”
Barron, who also founded the neighborhood association, has been instrumental in creating a sense of community on Eigleberry Street, which has seen more than its share of gang activity, including more than one stabbing last year. Where residents once kept to themselves, get-togethers like Wednesday’s get them talking.
“An activity like this really helps to reinforce the effort that both Art Barron and (GENA Vice President) Victor (Frias) and their leaders are doing,” said Rachel Muñoz, a community service officer with the Gilroy Police Department’s Neighborhood Resource Unit.
“Validating that the neighborhood is growing in numbers and that the neighbors are getting involved by helping out each other, reporting crime … That community bridge definitely has been a great asset to the neighborhood because it’s been mobilizing and it’s becoming alive and it’s not a neighborhood that’s stagnant or complacent, as it has been in the past.”
Muñoz, who helps host some of GENA’s meetings, served out food to those who attended Wednesday’s party. Barron and the association awarded her a plaque of appreciation for volunteering and her commitment to the neighborhood.
“I was not expecting that type of recognition,” she said. “If anyone deserves it, it’s Art and his team leaders.”
