Community

More than 41,000 blood donations are needed across the nation every day but donations tend to slow down in the holiday months, even though accidents happen all year long.

A record low 1.46 inches of rainfall in Gilroy over the calendar year makes 2013 the “driest year on record” dating back to 1957, according to forecaster Steve Anderson of the National Weather Service.

While riding his orange Kubota tractor at approximately 2:30 p.m. Dec. 9, Steve Alexander, who lives roughly three miles east of Saint Louise Regional Hospital in rural Gilroy, saw a mountain lion cross his path just 40 feet away.

Thirty years ago, an active local nonprofit organization started a modest holiday giving campaign that provided a few local families in need with food baskets.

St. Joseph’s Family Center is in need of about 300 more turkeys in order to provide Christmas dinner for local families, according to the nonprofit center’s staff. Turkey donations can be dropped off at St. Joseph’s Family Center in Gilroy, at 7950 Church Street, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Donations of money are also accepted. Center staff are scrambling to acquire enough turkeys to provide its food pantry clients with the supplies for a traditional holiday dinner, according to St. Joseph’s food pantry coordinator Vicki Smith. The center plans to distribute the turkeys with the food pantry clients’ December food baskets by Saturday, Dec. 20, Smith said. Some of the turkeys will also be cooked and served for the center’s Lord’s Table Christmas dinner which takes place 12 to 3 p.m. Dec. 25 at St. Joseph’s Family Center. If they get enough donations by Dec. 20, the center plans to provide about 700 families with turkeys this month, Smith said. Specifically, the center is asking for turkeys about 10 to 13 pounds in size, Smith said. For more information about making donations to the St. Joseph’s Family Center food pantry, call (408) 842-6662, extension 26. 

Lana’s Dance Studio, ranked as one of the top 50 dance studios in the nation, still has tickets available for its holiday production of “The Nutcracker,” with shows at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, and 1 and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 at the Gavilan College Theater in Gilroy.

The Community Agency for Resources Advocacy and Services (CARAS), a South Santa Clara County nonprofit group, held its first ever Community Champions Awards Ceremony Dec. 7 at the Gilroy Veterans Hall.

Despite the cold snap, a rock ‘n’ roll Queen tribute band is thinking of sun, garlic and summer as they aspire to perform at the 2014 Gilroy Garlic Festival.

Once again, the County of Santa Clara Animal Shelter has joined with the other five animal shelters located in Santa Clara County to hold the annual “Home for the Holidays” program in December.