Wheels for Chad effort reaches fundraising goal
A spark of generosity that began last fall became a dream come true this week for Chad
Bojorquez. The people behind the Wheels for Chad fundraising campaign to provide an adaptive van for Bojorquez, whose physical disabilities limit his mobility, presented him with a $78,000 check Monday.
“I’m just blown away with gratitude,” said Bojorquez, who works for Downtown Streets Team. “This has been a lifelong dream of mine.”
Joined at the Silicon Valley Capital Club by his mother, his wife and their three children, Bojorquez said it wasn’t until the family came along that it became really important for him to stop relying on public transportation. Born in 1980 with a disability called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, Bojorquez needs to get around in a wheelchair and has limited use of his arms and hands. Julie Matsushima ,a downtown San Jose resident who provided the inspiration behind the accessible Rotary PlayGarden, organized a group of civic leaders — Jessica Garcia Kohl, Annette Hancock, Jennifer Van Every, Janikke Klem, Chris Richardson, Dave Sandretto, Suzanne St. John-Crane and Karen Gomez —to raise the money for a van through her That’s Amore Foundation.
Many of them were at Monday’s presentation, where Matsushima said one of the amazing things about the effort was that the donations came from hundreds of people who were touched by Bojorquez’s story.
It’ll be a while before Bojorquez is on the roads, but he’s said he’s already taken a big first step: “I’ve got my learner’s permit.” HIGH-TECH BBQ: San Jose residents Rich Matsuura and Matt Tamashiro are trying to take barbecue to a new level with their invention, BBQ Bot. It’s a device that attaches to a Weberstyle kettle grill and turns it into a meat smoker. It’s even hooked up to an app that allows you to get your meat just right and lets you know when it’s done.
The BBQ Bot isn’t on the market yet, but the pair are giving it a big test this weekend: They’ve entered the pro division at the fifth annual Silicon Valley BBQ Championships, the Santa Clara Rotary Club’s big grilling event taking place at Central Park in Santa Clara on Friday and Saturday.
Get more information on the barbecue championships at www.svbbq.com and read about the BBQ Bot at www.bbqbot.net. HAMMER’S NEW FACE: Members of the valley arts community gathered on the rooftop patio of the Hammer Theatre Center on Tuesday evening to welcome Chris Burrill, who has been hired by San Jose State as the first executive managing director for the facility.
Burrill has experience working with a mixed university-city venue as he oversaw the 1990 opening of the 756-seat Irvine Barclay Theatre, a publicprivate collaboration in Orange County, and served as its general manager for many years.
Of course, Burrill has his work cut out for him in reactivating the theater, former home to the defunct San Jose Rep, which is now being managed by San Jose State’s College of Humanities and the Arts.