Event: Summer Bash
Date: June 21, 2025
Location: Christmas Hill Park, Gilroy, CA
Population Served: Ages 13 -17
Event Highlights:
On Saturday, June 21st, foster youth and their Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteers gathered for an afternoon filled with celebration in honor of Pride Month at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy. This event was specifically organized to meet the needs of our South County foster youth and provide an environment where our youth felt celebrated and affirmed.
The event kicked off with various stations where our youth engaged in activities like making buttons, decorating water bottles, designing tote bags, creating bracelets, physical activity and more! Our arts and crafts section provided our youth with the opportunity to practice mindfulness and bond with their CASA Volunteer. Meanwhile, our summer game stations offered a space for friendly competition between youth and their CASAs through games like cornhole. These activities were made possible thanks to The Q Corner, The LGBTQ+ Youth Space, CARAS (Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy and Services) in South County, Local Color San Jose and Allera Sports.
Before moving onto the next activity, attendees enjoyed a delicious lunch of chicken, pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, salads, vegetables, fruit and more thanks to Aztlan Smoked Out BBQ..
After lunch, attendees headed to the park’s field to enjoy a voguing lesson, a dance style rooted in LGBTQ+ ballroom culture. Thanks to Keith Cowans who directed the lesson, our youth expressed themselves freely through dance, built confidence and connected with an important part of LGBTQ+ history in a fun environment.
To wrap up the event, each youth selected goodies to take home as a reminder of the fun and memorable day they had at our Summer Bash!
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, and our supportive community partners Gilroy Rotary, The Q Corner, LGBTQ+ Youth Space, CARAS (Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy and Services) in South County, Local Color San Jose, Allera Sports and our vendor Aztlan Smoked Out BBQ. 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.
