2014 Holiday Guide: Holiday Briefs

Light Up the Valley event to raise funds for Valley Churches United
Owners of homes, businesses, and nonprofits in the San Lorenzo Valley are invited to enter into a valley-wide holiday decoration contest.
Participants will decorate their buildings in the holiday spirit to compete for a chance to win.
Entry forms will be at the following businesses: Don’s Felton Paint and Hardware, Scarborough Lumber in Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek Hardware.
The entry fee is $5 entry plus one canned good, and the deadline for entries will be Sunday. Dec. 7.
Maps for viewing the participating locations will be available — at the same places that entry forms are distributed — starting Dec. 10, and judging will take place on Dec. 13. The winner will be announced at the Community Pot Luck and Awards event on Sunday, Dec. 14, which will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Felton Community Hall. Those attending should bring a dish to share and a place setting.
For more information, call Kent Diethrick at 818-5174 or Carla Richmond at 818-5690.
Holiday Book Drive to benefit local schools
To celebrate a season of giving, Bookshop Santa Cruz is launching its fifth annual Holiday Book Drive to collect books to give to public schools throughout Santa Cruz County.
Bookshop Santa Cruz is offering 20 percent off all purchases of new and used books to be donated to the Santa Cruz Education Foundation (on behalf of Santa Cruz City Public Schools), the Scotts Valley Education Foundation (on behalf of the Scotts Valley Unified School District), and the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.
Bookshop Santa Cruz will collect these books at any register until Dec. 31 and will pass them onto school libraries and classrooms to enhance reading opportunities for public school students.
The Santa Cruz Warriors basketball team will be joining Bookshop Santa Cruz to help promote the Holiday Book Drive. The week of Dec. 8, any purchase made towards the Holiday Book Drive will be entered to win a prize package from the Santa Cruz Warriors.
White Christmas snow day event returns to Skypark
Three years ago, Gabriella Cosner, a four-year-old girl battling a rare form of cancer made one simple wish. She wished for snow on her fifth birthday, which falls on Dec. 24 — a white Christmas.
What started with a blog request for information on snow machines from Gabriella’s mother, Kristin, literally snowballed into an event that brought the entire community, including over 600 families in the last two years, together for a birthday gift that continues to give.
This year Team G Childhood Cancer Foundation, a nonprofit established by Gabriella’s parents, is gearing up for the 3rd Annual Gabriella’s Snow Day scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 19, at Skypark in Scotts Valley.
In addition to fantastical flurries, families can expect an appearance from Santa and two special surprise guests, holiday food, treats, shopping, games, crafts, bounce houses, and raffle prizes — all provided by an array of local businesses.
A $10 donation is suggested for anyone participating in snow play, games with prizes, bounce houses, and more with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Team G Childhood Cancer Foundation for pediatric cancer research and Hope Totes.
Team G Childhood Cancer Foundation was recently voted the 2014 Scotts Valley Organization of the Year.
For more information, contact Kristin Cosner at [email protected] or 239-5061.