October 19, 2006

A trip to the Pumpkin Patch aids Lucille Packard’s Children’s Hospital

There were no hobgoblins, ghosts or scary creatures at this year’s 34th annual Pumpkin Patch, but there were volunteers and customers from throughout the Bay Area and beyond. The San Jose Auxiliary’s annual fund-raiser for the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital was its usual success with customers waiting at the gate for the doors to open, an incredibly long line for the jewelry room and loads of people bumping into each other carrying flats full of goodies for gifts. Besides an area all decked out for Halloween, there were plants and baskets of plants, some real bargains in books and the most scrumptious cookies, muffins, cakes and breads. Pictured above are three volunteers spending some time looking at all the goodies. From left are Shaye Ryall of Campbell, Val Billuris—in the pumpkin—of Willow Glen and Maureen Lewis of Almaden.