few hundred dollars on energy bars and snacks for the first
responders. The local rodeo paid tribute to #GilroyStrong.
A local Zumba class delivered a box with $344 in cash.
Martial arts dojos collected funds. A local restaurant hosted
a regional hockey team’s fundraiser.
Garlic Festival Association personnel and volunteers
worked with law enforcement to identify vendors,
volunteers and guests who needed to retrieve valuables
and vehicles. Area police departments offered extended
support and assistance. Local social service agencies
stepped up to provide counseling and support. The school
district provided first responder gathering locations and
counseling for returning students. The local community
college offered space for recovery and reunification.
The Gilroy Foundation worked with the Ventura
Community Foundation, which had previously experienced
a similar tragedy, to set up applications and procedures
for distributing the Gilroy Garlic Festival Victims Fund. The
A Gilroy outsider, Lady Gaga,
expressed it eloquently in a
Facebook post:
“In this moment, I want to channel my confusion,
frustration and fury into hope. Hope that we are
there for each other and for ourselves.”
By now, many know that Lady Gaga and her Born
This Way Foundation has backed up this vision of
hope with a generous $11,717 donation to Gilroy
Unified School District schools.
distribution of funds is being overseen by a committee
of Gilroy Foundation and Silicon Valley Community
Foundation volunteers. Distribution of funds began on
August 15 th and will continue to December 31 st , 2019.
These vignettes represent only a fraction of the good,
courageous, remarkable, kind, compassionate and
generous things people have done in response to this
tragedy. The preponderance of love demonstrated and
delivered to Gilroy far outweighs the hate that sparked the
tragedy. The good demonstrated and delivered cannot
overcome the life taking, or the physical and emotional
pain many have suffered, but it can serve as a beacon of
hope. We have no doubt that there are thousands more
untold stories of courage, dedication, caring and
assistance.
The fact is that Gilroy came together in a way that
surpasses the expected resources of this community. What
all of this means is that we do have a strong Gilroy and it
is bigger and much more capable than this tragic event.
We are a capable and caring community…we are
#GILROYPROUD&STRONG.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
Written By Larry J. Mickartz
FALL/HOLIDAY 2019
gmhtoday.com
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