Spring Electric founder Pepper Snyder, left, is introduced by Chris McGugan, president of the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council of the Boy Scouts of America, during the 49th annual Distinguished Citizen Party at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)
The Distinguished Citizen Dinner, a fundraiser for the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council of the Boy Scouts of America, has recently tended to lean into the personality of the honoree. There have been rock ‘n’ roll shows, carnivals and art-oriented soirees. So to honor Spring Electric founder Pepper Snyder, it made sense that the 49th annual event at Levi’s Stadium was a regular hoedown.
There were cowboy boots and hats galore, lots of denim and quite a bit of fringe on display from the 275 guests at the stadium’s swanky BNY Mellon Club. And in case the message wasn’t received that Snyder, the longtime president of the Grassland Water District in Los Banos, didn’t want some stuffy dinner in his honor, the event was rebranded as the Distinguished Citizen Party.
It was quite a party, too, as guests took snapshots with the 49ers’ five Super Bowl trophies and enjoyed a performance by country singer and songwriter Mitch Rossell, who flew in from Nashville for the event. Besides fun, the emphasis of the night was on wildlife and conservation and included a presentation by Santa Cruz Eagle Scout Dylan Turzak, who started a school recycling project called Planet Protectors.
Snyder, who graduated from Campbell High School in 1960 and founded Sprig Electric a decade later, said the award was “truly an honor.”
“Conservation and wildlife mean so much to me,” said Snyder, who was introduced by his grandchildren, Morgan Giuliani and Joseph Giuliani. “And having all my friends here is so special. I just love all you guys for showing up and supporting me.”
MANY MENORAHS: The eight-night celebration of Hanukkah begins Thursday, and there are a lot of places in the San Jose area that’ll be marking the occasion this week. Chabad of San Jose will light a giant menorah at Westfield Oakridge Mall in South San Jose at a 5:30 p.m. Thursday night event with music, latkes and a magic show. Christmas in the Park also will light a menorah that evening and continue the next seven nights.
Friday, Chabad of San Jose will host a special Hanukkah program for seniors at noon at Westfield Valley Fair, on the second level next to See’s Candies. Santana Row will host its annual Hanukkah celebration Sunday, starting at 4 p.m. and featuring a concert with vocalist Amit Gilad and a three-person band. There’ll be crafts for kids, as well as coffee, doughnuts and latkes at Park Valencia in front of Maggiano’s.
And there’ll again be a Jewish Heritage Group Night on Dec. 12 when the San Jose Sharks take on Winnipeg at SAP Center, with a pre-game party and a menorah lighting. Get more information or tickets for that event at fevo-enterprise.com/event/sharksjewishheritagenight.
PARTY WITH A CAUSE: A Ukraine Power4U event Dec. 10 in Santa Clara will raise money for projects including the repair of generators and stoves in Ukraine, where the war is about to enter its second full winter. The Ukraine Liberty Fund has partnered with several organizations including the Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Kharkiv, Ukraine. The 3 p.m. event, which will include refreshments and entertainment, will take place at the Silicon Valley Central Chamber’s studio 3350 Scott Blvd. You can register to attend at tinyurl.com/UKR-BayArea.
COOL SHOW: Project MORE, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week, is bringing “Ice Queens” to San Jose’s Downtown Ice skating rink on Friday night, with 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. shows on the ice featuring drag performers including Joey Jay from RuPaul’s “Drag Race.” Fans can meet the performers for photos at 7 p.m. Get more details at domoreproject.org/icequeens.
Originally published at Sal Pizarro