Around Town … with Robert Airoldi: Local Facebook group, tutoring company, save end-of-parade popsicles

The Morgan Hill Neighborhood Group quickly raised $3,000 to ensure kids will be handed a Popsicle at the end of the patriotic parade.

By Robert Airoldi

Robert Airoldi

Freedom Fest volunteer Cheri Brown told us that local folks are proving Facebook is not all bad. The Morgan Hill Neighborhood page on Facebook, a private group of 9,500 members, has raised money to help those in need in the past.

This week they truly outdid themselves, she said. When Morgan Hill Freedom Fest announced their Popsicle sponsor had backed out, volunteer Ray Dzek used the group’s social media strength to raise funds to cover half of the Popsicles. Local tutoring company Engenius provided the other half. The Morgan Hill Neighborhood Group quickly raised $3,000 to ensure kids will be handed a Popsicle at the end of the patriotic parade.

During the past couple of years, Morgan Hill Neighborhood Group has also raised almost $10,000 to purchase gift cards for Cecelia’s Closet.

“I asked, and they responded,” Dzek said. “They are an amazing bunch of people who truly love our town. We have so many in the group that serve at all levels of our community. They just want to see Morgan Hill thrive. It shows the power of how many small gestures can make a big impact. I could not be more proud of the group.”

Terry Moriyama

Local Realtor Terry Moriyama, who started the Air For Paws nonprofit that provides first responders with animal resuscitation kits, held her inaugural Doggie Parade during the downtown wine stroll.

She told us it was a huge success, raising $2,355,07 with 34 dogs parading around the pop-up-park with their human partners as scores of spectators surrounded the park.

“Recent requests for kits in the U.S. have been from as far as New York, Kentucky, Maryland, and Connecticut,” she said. “We’ve even had one from France and K9 units in our own backyard of San Luis Obispo.”

She thanked judges Gino Attanasio, Sabrina Ferretti, and David Dindak, and all the people who donated. Again, Morgan Hill proves what a generous community we are. Well done!