Music, Munchies and More...Your First Good Deed in 2015!

Instead of rocking into  2015 with good intentions only, how about starting it with a good deed?

Here is your chance: I have six tickets left for the spaghetti dinner. If you email me at silviabichler@kw.com, with the amount of tickets you need and your address, I will personally bring them over to you. First come, first serve! There will be a ticket sale at the door. If you have an item for the silent auction, I will pick it up at your house. If you want to write a check, I will take it to the violin instructor after the holidays. All you have to do is giving me a holler and you can start 2015 as a very much appreciated sponsor of our violin kids and as my personal hero of 2015! 

Antonio Del Buono Elementary School in Gilroy has been providing free violin instruction and instruments under the direction of accomplished violinist and credentialed Suzuki Violin instructor Lori Franke for many decades. Due to rigorous state cuts, however, funding for music and art has almost been wiped out for our school kids during the past years.

My 7-year-old granddaughter started to play violin and through the unique Suzuki method improved her ability to concentrate on a task not only in music but also  in math and other subjects. Her last report card showed "exceeding district bench mark" in all tests.

Experiencing the joy of playing an instrument and open the door to the world of Mozart and Bach should not only be reserved for students whose affluent parents can afford private lessons. There is tremendous talent among the Antonio Del Buono students many of them are children of migrant workers  - don't let this talent go to waste because of lack of funds.

I joined the Board of the Antonio Del Buono violin program and pledged to support the program in 2015 with a percentage of any of my business transactions as Keller Williams Real Estate Consultant. I want to give back to the local youth because it is you who help me grow my business with your referral to friends and family. Thank you for your continued support and friendship!

Help me to support this wonderful program - probably the only free violin program offered by an elementary school in the South County.

There are many ways you can help: Buy tickets for the upcoming spaghetti dinner, donate items for the silent auction or write us a check. Anything you can do is very much appreciated.

Below is a letter from Lori Franke, Director of the ADB Violin Program

2015 Horses for Warriors - Free Support for Veterans Must Continue!

Starting in January 2015, DreamPower on WoodMyst Farm in Gilroy will be offering four weekly or bi-weekly groups for veterans of all eras and their families.  All the information is below.  Please share this information with any veterans you know who may be interested in participating in any of these groups, and with those who work with veterans and their families.

All of DreamPower's groups are offered without cost to the veterans. That is possible only because of the generosity of our donors and volunteers. Wounded Warrior Project values each equine group at $100 per veteran per session. So a group of four veterans would be worth $400 for each weekly meeting. We need more donors to help cover the costs for these expanded services for our veterans and their families. Please share this information with anyone you know who cares about veterans and might consider supporting DreamPower's Horses for Warriors.  The deadline for donations to be applied to 2014 taxes is Dec. 31, 2014 at 11:59 pm.

The above paragraph was written in an email by Martha McNiel, Director of DreamPower.

In 2014, I witnessed the healing power of DreamPower Horsemanship for our veterans, other therapy groups, and yes, even us volunteers. My whole family felt at peace, whether it was during walking in the 4th of July parade in Morgan Hill,  sipping tea with grandparents invited by Trigger the Mini Horse, drinking wine at the Satori Cellar fundraiser, or caroling in the wagon around Wood Myst Farm during last Christmas. No wonder that the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce voted DreamPower the Charity organization of 2015.

 With every real estate transaction, I support this 100% non-profit organization to help our heroes coping with post traumatic stress disorder. It is my way to thank this great country that has become my home during the past decade and all US service members who defend individual freedom in this world. Please help me to help them! Thank you with all my heart!

 

This Month In Real Estate - December 2014, Gilroy Edition

Dear Gilroyan neighborhood, after publishing the December statistics for Santa Clara County and the South County, I still owe you the local Gilroy numbers.