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Holiday Guide THE PRESS
Local nonprofits work through the pandemic DAWNMARIE FEHR
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ach year, hundreds of volunteers in East County donate their time and money to help their less fortunate
neighbors enjoy the holiday season. From Turkey dinners to Christmas gifts, local nonprofits work year-round for this special time. Despite restrictions in place due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, volunteers are already gathering forces to maintain their traditions in a socially distant fashion. see Nonprofits page 11
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Nonprofits from page 10 The Friends of Oakley Basket Program is moving forward this year, said board of directors secretary Donna Lagano. All participants are working to stay informed of and within CDC guidelines, making an effort to minimize touches. School and business closures have affected donations, though. “Our donation bins have not been distributed throughout the city as they usually are,” Lagano said. “A lot of our donations come through the Oakley School District and the schools aren’t open. But the teachers have still been very supportive.” Rotary Club of Oakley is partnering with Friends of Oakley to help fill the baskets. Rotary president Vera Martinez said volunteer help will be more important than ever. “With so many people out of work this year due to coronavirus, more of our community members need a little help this holiday season,” said Martinez. “Friends of Oakley and Rotary Club of Oakley have partnered to make the season a little brighter by providing holiday baskets of food and toys to families in Oakley and Bethel Island.” Friends of Oakley hopes to meet its goal of helping 300 families this year with food and gifts. It is accepting donations of time, money and presents. For more information, visit https://friendsofoakley.wordpress.com or https://www.facebook.com/friendsofoakley, or call 925-625-7945. Interested Oakley residents can register for the program on Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Les Schwab Tire Center, 89 Carol Lane, in Oakley. Please be prepared to show your ID with local address on it or proof of residence in Oakley or Bethel Island. In Brentwood, three groups have teamed up to bring some holiday cheer to community members. Rotary Club of Brentwood, Brentwood Strong and the Brentwood Regional Community Chest (BRCC) are pooling their resources to gather donations and volunteers to provide gifts and meals to families in need. “It’s always an honor to serve, and that’s the real silver lining through this COVID, seeing our community come together to support those in greatest need,” said Seana Fippin, founder of Brentwood Strong. “And it is filling a need for the volunteers who are able to volunteer as well.
I would highly encourage the community to get involved in any way they can.” Fippin noted Brentwood Strong is working with the City of Brentwood to provide turkeys for the Senior Turkey raffle and the rotary club to provide cards for homebound seniors to help lift their spirits. A senior parade and food distribution event are also in the works. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, call 925-513-0000. Toys for the holiday toy drive can be dropped at Red Box Business Solutions, 8395 Brentwood Blvd., Suite A, in Brentwood. Soroptimist International of the Delta is working with the Brentwood groups to provide gift cards to teens in families who are receiving food and gifts from the Brentwood Regional Community Chest. “Every year we give gift cards for the teens, and we help with the packing and sorting and that process,” said Soroptimist president Audry Gonsalvez. For more information or to donate, visit https://www.siofthedelta.com. Delta Community Services, also in Brentwood, is ramping up for the biggest time of year. The group identifies families in need through its thrift shop and provides Thanksgiving dinners in November — and Christmas dinners and gifts in December — for approximately 50 to 100 families. Volunteers shop for the families and provide everything. This year, the drop-off and pick-up will both be run as a drive-thru to conform to county and state health mandates. “Donors are instructed what type of food to buy — our Hispanic families often prefer chicken to turkey — and will drop off food in a drive by and then later, we invite the families to drive by and pick up their boxes,” said Michael O’Connor. “It’s impersonal, but it’s COVID, and it’s still rewarding . . . COVID has decimated some of our families this year.” To adopt a family through Delta Community Services, call 925-634-8275. The Kiwanis Club of Oakley recently chartered in October. Since the group is so new, President Angela Lowrey said they don’t have a holiday giving plan this year but look forward to having a program in the future. “Kiwanis Club of Oakley is excited to have just received their 501(c)3 and is
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currently looking at joining other Oakley service clubs and the city of Oakley to support programs this year and looking to expand community programs in 2021,” Lowrey said. “We are really committed to supporting families and children in the Oakley community. For more information, visit https:// oakleykiwanis. wixsite.com/ home, email oakleykiwanis@ gmail.com or call 925-813-2178. The Discovery Bay Marina is hosting a holiday toy drive and is accepting donated unwrapped toys to be given to The Delta Community Services Agency and the Brentwood Community Chest. Items can be dropped off at the 5901 Marina Road through Dec. 13. The Byron Delta Lions Club has a special Advent project its working on in partnership with the Delta Christian Community Food Pantry. Members are filling boxes with 21 items – one for each day from Dec. 1 to Dec. 21 – to help create a special Christmas dinner to be given to families in the area. “So every day we are putting something in the box, and then we can throw in extras, as well, like candy,” said Linda Barbara, the group’s coordinator. The boxes are being decorated like gifts to bring extra holiday cheer this season, and will be distributed in a touch-free fashion just in time for Christmas. On Dec. 8, the group will make, package and deliver Christmas lunches to clients of the Lions Center for the Visually Impaired in Pittsburg. They are also collecting toys for the Brentwood Regional Community Chest toy drive. For more information, or to donate, call 408-621-1763 or visit https://e-
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clubhouse.org/sites/byron_delta/index.php. Debbie Finnegan, president of the Discovery Bay Lions Club said her group – with the help of the Discovery Bay Safeway – is providing Thanksgiving meals to 61 at-risk families from the Byron Unified School District. Next month, they will collaborate with the Byron Delta Lions on their Advent project, collecting boxes of food for local families. “We are collecting items in front of the French Flea, a boutique shop on the marina,” said Finnegan. “There will be a barrel in front of the store to help collect items for the Advent calendar.” For more information, call 925-2403486 or visit https://discoverybaylions.com/. The Brentwood Lions Club will pass out gift cards to families in need for their Thanksgiving dinners, said President Dave Ciruli. Members have also contributed food to HOPE House in Brentwood and St. Vincent de Paul. Plans for the rest of season are still being made. For more information, call 925-587-3783 or visit https://eclubhouse.org/sites/brentwoodca/ index.php.
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Holiday events planned, hoped for this season DAWNMARIE FEHR
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akley and Brentwood are working hard to plan fun, safe holiday activities
for their residents. The two towns have come up with fun activities to showcase the spirit of the season while keeping participants safely distanced. In Brentwood, the chamber of commerce will sponsor its annual holiday parade this year with a few changes. “It will be a reverse parade,” said coordinator Vicky Little. “That means the parade floats will be parked on the side of the road in the downtown parking spots, and we will take reservations for vehicles to be able to drive through the middle of the street and look at the parade on the left and right.” Little noted state and county health restrictions did make things difficult, and the city’s parks and recreation department almost didn’t get approval for the event. In the end, the permits were granted by the county and the planning began. The event should proceed even with the county sitting in the purple tier of the state’s COVID-19 rating system.
Press file photo
The streets were filled with spectators as the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce hosted the 37th annual Holiday Parade in downtown Brentwood last year. This season, the event will look a little different with a drive by event on Dec. 12, but no live performances. “We won’t be able to have live performances, but the downtown businesses will be encouraged to decorate their windows and we are looking at trying to promote a week of looking at downtown businesses and window shopping to enjoy the holiday season in Brentwood.” This year’s theme is The Holiday Express and centers around the classic Christmas
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film, “The Polar Express.” Little said parade participants will incorporate pieces of the movie in floats and décor throughout the parade to keep things interactive and exciting. She also encourages those driving through to wear pajamas and sip hot cocoa. This parade will be a collaboration between the chamber, the City of Brentwood, the Downtown Coalition, 110 Magazine,
the Rotary Club of Brentwood, The Press and other local businesses. With all the talented helping hands, Little is hoping to get the parade broadcast, so families at home can enjoy it as well. Information on that – if it becomes available – will be posted on the chamber’s website. The Chamber of Commerce Holiday Drive Through Parade is a free event and will be held Saturday, Dec. 12, from 4-9 p.m., rain or shine. Vehicles must be registered to drive through. For more information, visit https://www.brentwoodchamber.com/ or call 925-634-3344. To register, visit https://www. brentwoodca.gov/gov/parks/default.asp. Oakley’s Parks and Recreation department has also been busy planning fun events for Oakley residents. Lindsey Bruno, recreation manager for the City of Oakley, said her team has several upcoming events, including a letters to Santa campaign that is going digital. Some events, like the Winter Wonderland and Winter Camp, may be affected by which tier the county is in next month. “As of the state press conference (on Monday), they had not announced new restrictions that would modify these programs that have been implemented in purple tier from the last time Contra Costa County was in the purple tier,” said Bruno. “Both the winter camp and drive through activities are permitted in the current purple tier blueprint.” see Events page 14
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Discovery Bay parades still on course
DAWNMARIE FEHR
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iscovery Bay will still celebrate the holiday season with its two annual
community parades, despite hurdles placed by local governments on public events. The Discovery Bay Yacht Club will host its community lighted boat parade Saturday, Dec. 12, beginning at 5 p.m. Carolyn Graham is this year’s parade coordinator, and she and her team are working hard to create magic on the water at a time when residents need it most. “We are doing the parade,” Graham said. “We’re very excited about it. It’s been a difficult year for so many reasons, for so many people, and this is a wonderful way to spread some joy and have some happiness in the town.” This year’s parade theme is Light Your Way into 2021, a theme Graham said was chosen because it highlights looking to the future and leaving 2020 behind, while allowing plenty of interpretive room for decorations. The Discovery Bay Yacht Club was founded in 1975 and began hosting the
Press file photo
Colorful boats filled with lights cruised the waterways of Discovery Bay during last year’s lighted boat parade. Parade officials this year are planning on holding the event despite COVID-19 restrictions. The parade will take place on Saturday, Dec. 12, but there will be no gathering at the yacht club following the event as in previous years. parade within a few years of opening. It’s a long-standing tradition many in town look forward to each year, and this year will be no exception. Graham did note several key components have fallen victim to COVID-19 health regulations. “This year, sadly because of COVID, we won’t be doing the parade party at the yacht club at the end, so there won’t be awards
given out,” Graham said. “People can be on the boats and still be safe and distanced, and hopefully there will be parties along the route. People can have a party with their social bubbles and still enjoy the event, while being safe of course.” For more information on the Discovery Bay Yacht Club’s Community Parade, call 925-389-7072 or email graham207@aol.com
The streets will be as festive as the waterways when the annual Parade of Lights rolls through town on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 5. Parade coordinators have maintained their commitment to having their parade since early fall, and came up with a fun theme for the year – All the Celebrations We Missed in 2020. “This should be really fun,” said parade marshal Brandy Woolman. “I’m happy we’re still having the parade. I believe it went through the county health people so they can do what they’re going to do, safely.” Though the floats and lights are sure to be as entertaining as ever, some things will look a little different this year as parade participants work to meet state and county guidelines for health and safety. The traditional tree lighting, awards ceremony and Santa visits following the parade have been cancelled. Instead, the tree will be lit in advance and the awards ceremony – as well as the entire parade – will be broadcast live on the Discovery Bay Lions Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/discoverybaylionsclub 30 minutes after the final float is judged. Parade organizers are asking community members who come out to watch the parade to be courteous mask-wearers and to remain in their household groups, maintaining social see Parades page 14
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Red and green have become the traditional colors of Christmas, just as blue and white symbolizes Chanukah. But how did this color palette come to evolve? Just like many traditions of Christmas, the red and green scheme has origins that pre-date the Christian celebration. Christmas has borrowed from many of the customs of winter solstice celebrations of ancient peoples, including the Celts. Ancient Celtic people revered holly plants, believing they brought beauty and good fortune in the middle of winter — a time when the landscape is
Events from page 12 The city’s drive-thru Winter Wonderland will take place Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza, which will be transformed into a seasonal fantasy land, complete with Candy Cane Lane, Santa’s Workshop, reindeer stables and more. Guests are encouraged to decorate their cars with garland, lights and other seasonal décor as the adventure will conclude with a unique photo opportunity with Santa from the safety of the car. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. For more information, contact Cindy at 925-625-7044 or coelho@ci.oakley.ca.us,
Parades from page 13 distance from others when necessary. The Discovery Bay Parade of Lights will take place Saturday, Dec. 5, starting at 6 p.m., at the Discovery Bay Marina and wind through the streets of town,
normally bleak and holly plants thrive and stand out. Celts would regularly bring in sprigs of holly and decorate their homes with the plants, which feature shiny, serrated leaves and bright, red berries, as a way to guarantee a prosperous new year. While red and green had associations with Christmas in early times through holly and other sources, the connection was perhaps best solidified thanks to a man named Haddon Sundblom. Sundblom was an artist commissioned in 1931 by the Coca-Cola company to create an image of Santa Claus for the company’s upcoming holiday ads. The ads proved popular and Sundblom’s Santa became the preferred depiction. Color plays a strong role in creating Christmas nostalgia. Red and green are put on vivid display throughout the season. – Courtesy Metro Creative or to register, visit www.ci.oakley.ca.us/ registration. To get in the spirit of the season right in your own home, residents can participate in the annual Hometown Holiday Decorating contest or write a letter to Santa through the city’s website. For more information on these activities, visit www.ci.oakley.ca.us or email bruno@ci.oakley.ca.us. Oakley has also planned two Winter Camps, one in person, and one packaged to take home. For more information, cost and registration, visit www.ci.oakley.ca.us/ registration or call 925-625-7041.
ending at the judging tent located in front of the community center located at 1601 Discovery Bay Blvd. For more information or to register, call 925-408-8332, visit https:// conta.cc/2CpoVdD or email deltasuntimes@ gmail.com.
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