GROWING WISER Attending a Crab Feed. Therapeutic?
by Dorie U. Sugay
dorie@visitingangels.com
Really! I attended the last of three Crab Cioppino and Shrimp Feed fundraisers held at the IFDES Portuguese Hall every year in Gilroy. Seven hundred people with huge appetites and high expectations came. People of all ages com- muted from all over, ready to feast on melt-in- your mouth crab and scrumptious shrimp. You’d run into everyone and anyone, from a for- mer biology teacher to local politicians to your favorite plumber. It was the place to be that night. A couple from Hollister said, “We come to all of them.” This was my first, I honestly found it
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tough to imagine how good the food could get, after all, they will be pre- pared by volunteers, not a five-star restaurant celebrity chef. I also won- dered if it is really possible to please seven hundred people three times a year, year after year? One of the organ- izers, Fernando Salvador, was rock solid confidant. He had worked these events for thirty years and they had a team of hard-working committed volun- teers. People did what they came for – eat,
eat, eat more and with gusto. Volunteers came with huge bowls of crab or shrimp at precise intervals. Even the garlic bread seemed to disap-
es! Attending a crab feed can be therapeutic.
per tantrum of today’s economy? The music started
and a man whispered to me, “I know some- one who’d love to dance with you.” He pointed to his father, who was coming up the ramp towards me, his hands firmly on his walker. I started to dance with him, and his face lit up, his fam- ily thankful. The spirit of this event had come to take over me as well. I had come to understand why hun- dreds of people come to this event year after year – a healthy contract has been established!
pear within seconds. Food came as if it were manna from heaven that will never run out. Once in a while you’d hear a groan of satisfaction. A couple of times a woman let out what I’d call an over-grateful cheer. The whole opera- tion was run with precise organization and maximum efficiency. I walked around a couple of times,
intrigued. Like the rest of the country, the economy has hit this area hard. But Fernando said seven hundred tickets ($45 each) sold out! Forty-five dollars buys ten gallons of gas. It can pay for an outfit. But they spent it on this event. My curiosity was peaked. As I walked about, I felt energy in the air. People were having a good time; they were engaged. What is it about this event that helped people forget the tem-
adsales@outandaboutmagazine.com
People come with expectations and they are met. People come to have a good time, and they do. And it does not mat- ter what struggles or challenges people face, when they come to this feast, they leave it outside the door to allow the Portuguese community to provide a great evening. I left thinking of the interesting
dynamics at the Portuguese Hall. I thought of that senior who I “danced” with. Attending this feast was a tradi- tion for him now. I believe that we can learn from
everyone we come in contact with and every experience we have. The event brought to mind some inspiring thoughts. Have a healthy contract with life; prepare to flow with life’s chal- lenges, and life will whisk you through
Out & About • May 2012 45
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