community DIGEST
Morgan Hill Rotary Annual
Harvey Barrett Senior Dinner
UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYES OF EVENT CHAIR
Valerie Alves, this year’s Harvey Barrett Annual
Senior Dinner went off without a hitch. Held March
at the Buddhist Community Center, the dinner is
named in honor of Harvey Barrett, the 29 th President
of the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill. The first Senior
Dinner was held in 1983 and the Rotarians have
been feeding and entertaining the community seniors
annually since that date.
Rotarians prepared a scrumptious meal under
the direction of Rosy Bergin, Rotarian and co-owner
of Rosy’s at the Beach. Directing the kitchen staff
since 2004, Rosy once again complimented the
Rotarians and Interactors, noting, “It’s an amazing
crew we have in the kitchen and in the BBQ area to
feed so many people.” The meal was complemented
by wine generously donated by Guglielmo Family
Wines. This year over 200 meals were served.
The festive event included entertainment by Mike
Withrow, The Morgan Hillbillies, The Foggy Memory
Band and dancing by the Fabulous Flappers.
The Rotary Club of Morgan Hill is proud of its
outreach to the community. This well received event
is another example of how they strive to serve the
community.
Autism Awareness Day
Rich, Christopher, Lydia and Jasmine Fernandez
28
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
MAYBE YOU NOTICED SOMETHING UNUSUAL on April 2 nd —
windows with blue lights in them. This year an estimated 142
countries and over 18,000 buildings sported blue lights to
acknowledge Autism Awareness Day.
Autism is a general term to describe a group of complex
developmental disorders — autism spectrum disorders. Autism
now affects 1 in 68 children. Autism Speaks is the world’s
leading autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to
funding research into the causes, prevention, treatment and cure
for autism.
Locally, Lydia Fernandez is an outspoken advocate for children
with disabilities such as autism. Lydia
has received state and local awards
for her advocacy. She is a frequent
speaker to business and social groups
on the topic of autism — one of
her favorite topics is to talk with
other parents who have children
with autism.
On April 4th the Gilroy City
Council presented Lydia with a
Proclamation designating April 2016
as Autism Awareness Month.
MAY/JUNE 2016
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