Chow, Ciao, Cioppino: An Evening of Fun for a Great Cause

There was more to the Rotary Club of Los Altos’ annual Cioppino Dinner and Auction than a plentiful meal of crab, prawns, lasagna, and red wine, as close to 120 attendees gathered on February 26 to salute and raise funds in support of the U.S. veterans studying at Foothill College, located in Los Altos Hills.

Spectacular auction items such as a stunning villa in Florence, Italy, a spacious beach house in Capitola, a Paella dinner for fifty of your favorite friends, as well as the hottest tickets in the country to the Golden State Warriors’ game (Go Steph!), just to name a few, were skilfully and magically upsold in the hotly-contested excitement orchestrated by the Rotary’s former President Kendra Gjerseth, who definitely missed her calling by not becoming a professional auctioneer.

Under the enthusiastic leadership of Rotary Club President Jerry Moison, with the assistance of his energetic co-chairs Jack Kelly, Ron Labetich, and Tracie Murray, as well as Dr. Judy Miner, Chancellor of the Foothill-De-Anza Community College District and opera aficionado who sang a magnificent rendition of our National Anthem, the Cioppino Dinner event netted over $30,000 for the Captain Matthew P. Manoukian Memorial Scholarship Fund for student veterans at the Foothill College Veterans Resource Center to aid in their quest for success in education and career training.

U.S. Marine Captain Matthew Manoukian (1983-2012), resident of Los Altos Hills, was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan. “His heroic service to our country and his sacrifice will live forever in the hearts of all who cherish freedom,” said Jerry Moison.

A special memorial scholarship in honor of Captain Matthew Manoukian has been established by the Los Altos Rotary Club to provide financial assistance to benefit student veterans who are pursuing college degrees while they successfully integrate into community life after their brave service to our country.

The Rotary Club’s Veterans Support Committee provides mentoring, offers guidance for veterans’ benefits and legal issues, as well as sets up a monthly presentation by Silicon Valley’s professionals who share their expertise and offer guidance in the veterans’ quest for appropriate jobs upon their graduation.

Among the nine students who were guests of the Rotary’s Cioppino dinner festivities, the range of their professional interests was in the fields of Computer Engineering, Business Management, Business Administration, Human Resources, Bio-Mechanical Engineering, Communications, and Music Therapy, in order to help returning veterans.

The evening was enchanted by the addition of a Doberman, Sasha, who accompanied David Granfard, a Foothill College Veterans Resource Center graduate, currently working on his MBA in Human Resources at the Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Both David and Sasha served on General Petraeus’ staff, with David working as a linguist and intelligence liaison between the U.S. and Afghan governments, and Sasha trained as the explosives sniffing dog.

Sasha was rescued by David when their convoy car was hit by an enemy bomb during the Iran-Iraq war. Both survived, with David incurring major injuries to his leg and hip. Sasha’s mom, Mercy, was in a different car and was killed in the bombing.

You may be interested to learn that Sasha accompanies David to his work at school and she is also getting an MBA degree. She is officially a four star general and is decorated with a four star pin presented to her personally by General Petraeus who actually removed it from his uniform and attached it to Sasha’s patch. Uniformed military personnel have to salute Sasha.

The evening featured a big surprise as the Rotary Club of Los Altos honored Santa Clara Judge Socrates “Pete” Manoukian and Associate Justice Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian, Captain Manoukian’s parents, with the Rotary’s most distinguished Paul Harris Fellowship Award.  The award was received by Judge Manoukian and his son Michael Manoukian.

Filled with emotion, Judge Manoukian thanked the attendees and read a letter he recently received from veteran Barrett Kemp:

I remember him helping me to my feet with the IV connected to my arm and walking me outside so that I could smoke cigarettes to relieve the stress. Matt was the first real example of a true leader I had. He led by example and from the front…. He was also the first to volunteer to go on patrol. He was always outside of the wire with us, fighting with us side by side, in the worst conditions….Today, I am one year away from graduating with the bachelor’s degree in business management from San Diego State University. I don’t know if I would be in the same place today if it wasn’t for your son….Thank you for raising such a great man. Thanks you for your sacrifice.

With not a dry eye among the attendees and a standing ovation by all, the diners and the celebrants were inspired to continue their well-established tradition of dedicated work in partnership with the Foothill College Veterans Resource Center under the loving care and leadership of Carmela Xuereb, the Veterans program specialist at Foothill College. It’s never too late to make your contribution by visiting www.losaltosrotary.org or mailing a check to LAREF, PO Box 794, Los Altos 94023.

Ciao until next year’s Cioppino Dinner.

Lina Broydo immigrated from Russia, then the Soviet Union, to Israel where she was educated and got married. After working at the University in Birmingham, England she and her husband immigrated to the United States. She lives in Los Altos Hills, CA and writes about travel, art, style, entertainment, and sports. She hardly cooks or bakes, with no borsch or piroshky on her home cooking menu. Therefore, she makes reservations and enjoys dining out, mostly sushi.

By Lina Broydo