Event: Summer Bash
Date: June 22, 2024
Location: Christmas Hill Park, Gilroy, CA
Population Served: Foster youth ages 3+
Event Highlights:
The sun was shining, and so were we at our 3rd Annual Summer Bash! On Saturday, June 22nd, foster youth and their Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteers gathered for an afternoon of outdoor activities at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy. This event was specifically organized to meet the needs of our South County foster youth, providing them with expressive arts and physical movement activities.
As participants arrived, they were welcomed with fruit-infused spa water and sunglasses. The event kicked off with arts and crafts stations where our youth bonded with their CASAs, engaging in activities like rock painting, decorating water bottles with stickers, designing tote bags, and creating dream catchers from scratch. The dream catcher activity, generously supported by our community partner, the Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy, and Services (CARAS), was a top favorite for our foster youth.
Before moving on to physical activities, attendees enjoyed a delicious lunch of chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, salads, vegetables, oranges, and baked chips.
After lunch, attendees headed to the park’s field to enjoy games like cornhole, Connect 4, soccer, and a bounce house, along with water activities. Thanks to Allera Sports, our youth had a blast with environmentally friendly and reusable water balloons, leading to moments of competition, laughter, and fun.
To wrap up the event, a piñata filled with healthy, fruity snacks was opened, adding even more joy to the day. As the event concluded, each youth selected a book of their choice and up to two toys to take home.
Our Summer Bash was filled with competition, laughter, and fun, offering our youth the opportunity to bond with their peers and CASA Volunteers. Events like this provide our youth with positive childhood experiences by exposing them to nature, fostering community connections, and engaging them in physical activities.
This memorable event was made possible thanks to our dedicated staff, CASA Volunteers, supportive community partners like CARAS and Allera Sports, our event funder, Gilroy Rotary Club, and our event vendors, Aztlan Smoked Out BBQ, Las Delicias Ice Cream Y Botanitas and Dulceria Del Sol. Thank you all for SHOWING UP for our foster youth.
If you have any questions or are interested in sponsoring a youth-related event, please contact our development department at development@childadvocatessv.org.
