gmhTODAY 25 gmhTODAY April May 2019 | Page 69

Shining Star Prom 2019 Treasures of the Sea What Lies Beneath? Special needs high school students in our area will fi nd that out on April 27 th when they attend the Shining Star Prom 2019, “Treasures of the Sea,” which will once again be held at the Lodge on the Hill (also known as the Gilroy Elks Lodge). This is the third year that Linda Estill and her enthusiastic committee have taken on the task of organizing this event that has become so popular with the students, their families, teachers and aides. Thanks to a very generous grant from the Gilroy Rotary Club again this year, most of the venue and food costs have been covered. Coldwell Banker Real Estate is providing a donation from its annual fundraiser that will make it possible to provide extraordinary decorations, keepsake souvenirs, a karaoke DJ and so much more to help make the evening memorable. “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of this community as expressed in not only monetary donations but also by offering their services, expertise, products and over- all support,” Ms. Estill commended. “Each year we get more volunteers and people just wanting to be a part of the event in any way that they can contribute. It’s probably the most rewarding endeavor I’ve ever undertaken and that sentiment has been expressed by all who become involved.” The theme for Shining Star Prom 2018 was “April in Paris.” Attendees were greeted by energetic cheerleaders from Christopher High School. Student guests were treated to an onsite salon where vol- unteers from Gavilan College Cosmetology Department and local cosmetologist, Kiersten Vavoulis made the girls feel glamorous and the guys feel and look like GQ models. Habing Family Funeral Home and Frank’s Florist made sure that each student was adorned with festive corsages and boutonnieres. There were enough corsages that almost every mother was given one as well. DJ Extraordinaire Javier Marquez kept the tunes spinning and the kids on their feet all night long. He knew just what they wanted to hear. Javier has once again agreed to be our DJ at no cost. Graphic designer Dave Ramos contributed his artistic talents to design our sponsorship banner and Waseem Rabih of the Print Shop did the printing. TODAY once again provided widespread publicity and support. Wafelbakker-Anderson Orthodontics sponsored a photo booth where guests’ zany photos were inserted into custom- themed frames purchased through a generous grant from Gilroy Foundation. Memories of the event were captured in hundreds of still photos taken by local photographer, Marie Borba. This will be the third year that she will be donating her services to our prom. Zach Patterson of Patterson Films provided us with a fabulous video that is posted, along with Marie’s photos, on our Facebook page: facebook.com/shiningstarprom/. The many volunteers who participated in our 2018 prom were treated to a feast provided at no cost for the second year in a row by Adam Sanchez and Ann Zyburra of The Milias Restaurant. gmh GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN april/may 2019 If you know of any special needs, high school-aged individuals who do not attend public school in this area and might like to participate in our prom, please contact Linda Estill, (408) 848-5092 or festive@ garlic.com. gmhtoday.com 69