EDITOR: I would like to take this opportunity to update you and
the general public on the recently held 2003 Cool Brews for Cool
Pools Festival as well as provide recognition to our volunteers and
supporters.
EDITOR:
I would like to take this opportunity to update you and the general public on the recently held 2003 Cool Brews for Cool Pools Festival as well as provide recognition to our volunteers and supporters.
Morgan Hill Aquatic Center Incorporated (MHACI), held its second annual “Cool Brews for Pools Cool Festival” on Saturday, Aug. 23. This festival served as the celebration for the recent ground breaking of the Morgan Hill Aquatics Complex.
The event was held at the new Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center. The outside amphitheater was an excellent venue for this festival and accommodated the crowd, beer and wine tent, vender and food booths and kid zone quite well. Cheers to the city for having the foresight in designing such a great facility!
Weather was an important component of this fun and successful festival. Not a cloud was seen in the sky and the temperatures reached the mid 80’s for perfect beer-drinking weather. Approximately 1,000 beer aficionados from all over the South Bay converged to enjoy the brews from 20 of the region’s best breweries. The local wines of Clos La Chance, Guglielmo, Pedrizzetti and Solis also were featured.
The Cool Brews for Cool Pools Festival is a unique brewfest. The parents of young aquatic athletes make up the bulk of the organizers and volunteers. Volunteer beer pourer and Morgan Hill’s head swim coach, Ed Toately, says he has never seen a fundraising event like this and he has coached all over the country. There were also nearly as many kids enjoying the interactive water fountain, giant tsunami inflatable slide, bounce house and Sabercats football toss making this one of the most family friendly beer festivals around. Making the brewfest child and family friendly was one of our biggest goals.
Music was also awesome! Blues and rock from local bands JJ Hawg and The Usual Suspects kept things hopping around the fest all day.
Local bicycle company “Specialized” gave one of its real cool 2004 model cruiser style bicycles as the grand prize of the events raffle. Lisa Balch, an active Live Oak High School water polo supporter, won the bike.
More than $40,000 was netted overall from beer kit and raffle sales and very generous sponsorships, benefiting the now under construction aquatics center and local aquatics sports. Next year’s festival will be even bigger and better and will be celebrating the grand opening splash down of the aquatics complex scheduled to open May 2004.
As co-chairman of this festival, I would like to thank all of the volunteers: the local Morgan Hill Swim Club parents, Live Oak High School water polo parents and city council members for filling all of the needed volunteer slots. Mayor Dennis Kennedy and his wife Eileen, City Councilman Steve Tate and his wife Jennifer, City Councilwoman Hedy Chang, Live Oak varsity water oolo Coach Mack Haines and Morgan Hill Swim Club Head Coach Edward Toately all volunteered in the beer and wine tent.
Also, the hard work of our organizing committee member needs to be recognized. Mr. John Rick and Mayor Kennedy for their work on the financial and sponsorships committee; Jeff Dixon, Bob Martin and Frank Windgassen for their work on the marketing committee; Beth Rodriguez and Karen Panello for putting together the kids zone; Martine Kapatanic for helping with logistics; and finally, my co-chair and wife Cindy Acevedo who pulled the whole thing together. Cindy organized the food booths, all required licenses and permits and logistics (portipotties, booths, tents, etc.).
I would like to recognize the fine work of the city staff as well. Julie Spier and Laura Brunton, specifically, helped to facilitate the requisite city permits and paperwork. They also ensured that the Community and Cultural Center was handed over to us in beautiful condition.
Without the monetary and in-kind contribution of the event sponsors the financial success of the event would not have been realized. I would like to thank Gold Sponsor South Valley Disposal & Recycling for its generous contribution and Silver Sponsors: Computer Outlet; The soon-to-be-open Ford Store of Morgan Hill; Nichols, Rick & Company, CPA’s; Venture Corp.’s Rob Eve; Wells Fargo; and Ray Alcini.
Other major sponsors deserving recognition are the City of Morgan Hill, El Toro Brewing Co., The Glenrock Group, Specialized Bicycle and Dennis and Eileen Kennedy.
Twenty local and regional craft breweries donated the beer for the brewfest. Guglielmo, Clos La Chance, Pedrizzetti and Solis donated the wine. I am thankful to them, too.
And finally, I would like to thank the Brewery Booth sponsors: Bas Waffelbakker, DDS; Conleff Plumbing; South Valley National Bank; C and M Auto Services, Inc.; Sakata Seeds America; Manufacturing and Supply Chain Consulting; ELS Architecture; Sign Creations; Kurtt Trucking Gilroy; Grief Brothers; Vintage 99 Labels, Livermore; Edward Jones Investments; Stevens Creek Quarry; and Heritage Bank South Valley.
All and all, the 2003 Cool Brews for Cool Pools Festival was a fun-filled day for all participants. It was an important fundraiser for the Morgan Hill Aquatic Complex, the local aquatics sports community and all of the citizens of Morgan Hill. It is they who will be will be using the Cool Pools!
H. Geno Acevedo, co-chairman
2003 Cool Brews
For Cool Pools Festival,
vice president,
Morgan Hill Aquatic Center
