Students celebrate holiday events

Festival of Lights

Several school organizations participated in the city of Los Altos’ 22nd annual Festival of Lights Parade. The parade festivities include costumed characters and lighted floats as well as regional high school marching bands. Over 17,000 people have been reported to attend the parade annually. The parade itself is organized by volunteer and non-profit organizations, rather than the city of Los Altos itself.

The school’s marching band participated in the parade this year as in years past.

“We’re participating in the parade so people can enjoy beautiful holiday music as they watch the parade,” Drum Major junior Jordan Hamel said. “It’s a fun and positive way to end the semester.”

Members of Key Club participated in the parade by selling glowsticks. These funds went to support the Festival of Lights Parade, and to ensure that organizers are able to continue this holiday celebration.

“We had great turnout for the parade,” Key Club Vice President junior James Li said.

“It was a fun holiday event to participate in.”

Holiday Faire

Various clubs sold everything from tostadas to potstickers to crêpes at the school Holiday Faire on Friday, December 11. The faire took place at lunchtime in the large gym.

Organized by ASB, the Holiday Faire is mainly a fundraising opportunity for clubs, as each club gets to keep all of its own profits.

All chartered clubs on campus had the opportunity to participate in the faire. The clubs’ spots in the gym were assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis with the submission of the forms. Each club was allowed to sell one thing.

The date of the Holiday Faire is one of the few days of the year when the district allows the school to sell food items during school hours.

According to ASB Clubs Commissioner Teresa Fabbricino, the items which sold the fastest were the hot foods, followed by the desserts like cookies and pastries.

With numerous clubs participating, the faire had a varied assortment of goods for sale as well as a diverse range of students behind the tables selling them.

“Every club comes together, and we can taste a little bit from their culture,” Latino Student Union President junior Mari Molina said.

Veterans Faire

Multiple school clubs volunteered at the Palo Alto Veteran Affairs Medical Center for the annual Veterans Hospital Holiday Faire on Wednesday, December 2. Members of Interact, Black Student Union (BSU) and the cheer teams attended the event, which took place from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Student volunteers were asked to donate their time to this holiday event by helping veterans make holiday crafts at the faire. Craft projects included creating holiday cards, decorating cookies and making necklaces.

The Veterans Hospital Holiday Faire occurs annually, and many clubs plan to make this community service event a tradition.

“It’s always been a good event, and it was a really rewarding experience, especially giving back during the holidays,” BSU and cheer team member senior Sarah McGee said.

Many students left the event feeling good about giving back to the community.
“It was a very heartwarming experience to see so many people helping the veterans make their holiday season exciting and memorable,” Interact member sophomore Alexis Miller said.