December 4, 2008

NEWS BRIEFS

AVCA to hold Dec. 8 meeting

The Almaden Valley Community Association will hold this month’s meeting on Monday, Dec. 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Almaden Community Center, 6445 Camden Ave.

The guest speaker is Danny Power, the planting coordinator from Our City Forest. He will talk about how residents can receive free trees to plant for homes and neighborhoods. If each Almaden resident planted one tree in Almaden Valley, it would make a significant contribution to the city’s goal of planting 100,000 trees over the next 10 years.

For more information, prior to the meeting, visit the Our City Forest Web site at www.ourcityforest.org

For more information about the meeting, contact Art Boudreault, president, at artb@netwiz.net or www.avca-sj.org.

Smuin Ballet partners with Toys for Tots

Smuin Ballet is holding its first annual collaboration with the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots charity and is inviting fans to celebrate the season by helping families in need. Anyone bringing a new, unwrapped toy to “The Christmas Ballet” performance at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts box office in San Francisco on Dec. 21 will receive a buy-one-get-one-free offer for the 7 p.m. show.

Smuin Ballet chose to support Toys for Tots because of its mission to make the spirit of the holiday season a reality for the communities it serves. This message is very similar to the founding principle of Smuin Ballet: the Company shall present works of the highest quality of dance in a way that is accessible to a wide audience. Smuin Ballet is known for its community involvement in a variety of other formats including public performances, rural community tours and its On Your Feet! educational outreach program.

Calling “The Christmas Ballet” Michael Smuin’s “spiffy, toe-tapping alternative to the avalanche of ‘Nutcrackers…,’” San Francisco Chronicle reviewer Mary Ellen Hunt claims, “As with the best of ‘Christmas Ballet,’ and indeed the best of Smuin’s work in general, there’s not only a light-hearted, winking sense of fun, but also just a lot of great dancing.” The 2008 edition will feature new additions from guest choreographers Val Caniparoli and Viktor Kabaniaev as well as Smuin Ballet’s choreographer in residence Amy Seiwert.

The company will also celebrate the holiday season with their Santa’s Sweets event, where the young and the young-at-heart are welcomed to sample sweets brought by Santa himself and meet members of the company. Parents are welcome to bring their cameras for pictures with the Smuin Ballet dancers and Santa. The event will follow the Dec. 21 2 p.m. performance and is open to the public.

Fraternal Order of Eagles sponsors 5th annual shopping spree

The San Jose Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.) is hosting its fifth annual Disadvantaged Child-ren’s Christmas Shopping Spree on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 7 a.m. at the Target store located at 450 N. Capitol Ave. in San Jose.

Pre-selected disadvantaged and special needs children from the San Jose Unified School District, CalWorks Program, San Jose Fire Department’s Burn Unit and the Special Olympics will each be given $150 to spend however they wish at Target as a special holiday gift from the Eagles.

The children participating in the holiday shopping spree range from ages 7 to 12, and have been chosen to participate by their teachers, principals and counselors, based on their improvement in grades and attitude. During the shopping spree, each child will be paired with an Eagles’ volunteer who will escort him or her throughout the Target store and help them select the perfect gifts.

“Through our shopping spree, we hope these children learn that hard work and dedication in school and a positive attitude will be rewarded,” said Robert Prieto, Eagle member and chair of the Disadvantaged Children’s Shopping Spree.” It brings us such joy to see how excited the kids are to purchase gifts for their families. We want them to have fun and be able to enjoy the holidays with the ones they love.”

This holiday event is made possible by donations raised throughout the year from San Jose Eagle members, from donations and fundraising events, as well as from donations from local businesses. In the event’s inaugural year, the Eagles raised enough money to take 111 children shopping; last year, 230 children were able to participate.

San Jose F.O.E. Aerie #8 is the oldest existing aerie in California. Established in 1899, it is home to more than 400 members. The San Jose Eagles donate more than $40,000 annually to various charities – with more than $30,000 going to the shopping spree – in addition to heart disease, diabetes and cancer research. Additionally, the San Jose Aerie recently purchased a defibrillator for a local senior facility.

For more information about the Disadvantaged Children’s Christmas Shopping Spree, visit www.ChristmasForTheKids.com. For further information on the event or to become a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, contact Robert Prieto at (408) 655-8113, or eagle_aye@sbcglobal.net.