Three guys from Morgan Hill are putting their money where their
mouths are – helping kids enjoy the Fourth of July Festival in the
Park without worrying about money. Ticket sales for the Kids Zone
help support Independence Day, Inc.
’s two-day patriotic celebrations, most of which are free to all
but which can cost IDI as much as $120,000.
Three guys from Morgan Hill are putting their money where their mouths are – helping kids enjoy the Fourth of July Festival in the Park without worrying about money. Ticket sales for the Kids Zone help support Independence Day, Inc.’s two-day patriotic celebrations, most of which are free to all but which can cost IDI as much as $120,000.
But not everybody can afford to pay to enjoy the rides and activities.
IDI president Bruce Tichinin, a local attorney, said he was disturbed by the barrier the need for a ticket produced and made free rides his goal for the 2003 festival.
“Some kids couldn’t afford to play,” Tichinin said recently. “Some people snuck their kids in (or decided not to). This is a community and family event and we wanted it to be for free,” he said.
“About six or seven years ago a kid came up to me (at a festival) and wanted to get a ticket to one of the rides,” Tichinin said. “He was unable to do so since he didn’t have a dollar. That has troubled me ever since and I resolved to remedy this before I left IDI.”
He said he offered the chance to sponsor the rides to several large local businesses but, with the damaged economy, they were unable to help. So he decided to do it himself with the help of friends.
“Keeping the event free is consistent with the tradition of all Morgan Hill Fourth of July events being free for more than a century,” he said.
Tichinin is joined in the endeavor by Hamdey AlTayyeb, owner of My Pizza, and Alex Kennett, former IDI president, former Chamber of Commerce president and local businessman.
AlTayyeb approaches July Fourth celebration from a slightly different direction from that of life-long citizens Kennett and Tichinin. He immigrated 13 years ago from Kuwait.
“This is my home – Morgan Hill – and I love this town,” he said. “I have so many good things … you can’t just sit here without giving back.”
He has a “campaign” to mobilize citizens to vote.
“I want to make Morgan Hill the ‘City of the Country’ and get a 95-100 percent voting rate,” he said. He is writing a book and wants to take his campaign nationwide.
“I’ll call it ‘Human Race.’” he said.
AlTayyeb is also taken with the “bootstraps” method of American success.
“If you don’t mobilize yourself,” he said, “nothing will happen.” He takes his message around to schools, trying to make a difference.
Kennett said he went along with Tichinin and AlTayyeb for a simple reason.
“They made me feel so guilty,” he said. “It seemed like the right thing to do. I would have been ashamed not to join them and they needed a third to make it work for them. If they wanted to do this, it was good enough for me.”
Kennett is selling his long-time business, Gavilan Kennett Roepke, food brokers, and has started off in a new direction – Solutions.
“I offer help to people who know their trades well – the artisan, the professional – but can’t make a business out of it,” Kennett said. “I run their business.” He uses as an example a “widget maker” at IBM – 30 years of making widgets but can’t make it work on his own. Enter the Kennett solution.
AlTayyeb also sponsored the fireworks parking, where close-in parking will cost $10 but comes with a bag of real value including a gift certificate worth $12.95 to his My Pizza on West Main Avenue. The $10 will go directly into the bank adding to IDI’s $120,000 bill.
“Donations are down,” Manning said, “and we hope for 1,000 cars to want to be ‘close in’.”
There will also be free parking.
The announcement that the Kids Zone would be free came at a recent IDI planning meeting, according to Daryl Manning, marketing specialist for the group.
“It made everyone smile,” she said.
After this year, Tichinin will turn over the IDI reins to vice-president Rich Gamboa who has been in training for several years.
The festival will also offer live music throughout the day, an arts and crafts area and lots of food and drink.
This year’s Kids Zone will include a bounce house, a giant slide, rock ‘em – sock ‘em, tunnel maze, spin art and the ever-popular water wars and rock climbing wall – activities for all ages. All free.
Family Fun Festival in the Park, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday, July 4 at Community Park, Edmundson Avenue west of Monterey Road. Volunteers and donations are still needed and welcome. Details: www.mhidi.com or 779-3387.
