Thursday, December 22, 2011
Los Gatos-based organization visits Fisher House and Polytrauma Center in Palo Alto last Friday and Housing Consortium Saturday.
This past weekend was a busy one for Operation Yellow Ribbon, an organization under the auspices of the afternoon Los Gatos Rotary Club. Under the leadership of its chairman, Michael Frangadakis, the nonprofit group visited the Fisher House and the Polytrauma Center in Palo Alto last Friday giving wounded soldiers and their families gift certificates and presents. The Fisher House families, housed in 21 rooms, also received a complete set of pots and pans including glass ware for their kitchen, Frangadakis said. "We make sure everyone has a good Christmas and we provide $50 gift certificates from Target and a Christmas card of appreciation," Frangadakis said. At the Trauma Center, Operation Yellow Ribbon also presented a banner signed by …
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Los Gatos-based delegation was among those greeting Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher Borges the evening of Friday, Dec. 16.
Los Gatos-based Operation Yellow Ribbon was at Mineta San Jose International Airport the evening of Friday, Dec. 16 to greet Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher Borges when he arrived home from Afghanistan after serving a 6½-month tour of duty. Among those welcoming the young San Jose soldier was Mike Frangadakis, chairman of Operation Yellow Ribbon, and an active member of the afternoon Los Gatos Rotary Club. Accompanying Frangadakis were Los Gatos residents Gary and Sue Plep. Also in attendance was Borges' mother, Rosalia Mestresset, a member of the South Bay Blue Star Moms. Ray Borges, father of the young soldier, said: "We want him to know how appreciated his service to our country is." Borges is among thousands of soldiers coming home …
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Los Gatos Patch wants your Veterans Day stories.
This Friday, Nov. 11, we celebrate Veterans Day, a national holiday to pay tribute to our military personnel serving or who have served in armed conflicts. While there will be no special observances in Los Gatos, the Santa Clara County United Veterans Council will present its 93rd annual Veterans Day parade in downtown San jose at noon. An opening ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at Plaza de Cesar Chavez and the keynote speaker will be Brigadier General Gary Medvigy, with the 351st Civil Affairs Command Moffet Federal Air Field. Many town veterans are participating in the event, including local realtor Mike Frangadaki, chairman of Operation Yellow Ribbon, an organization under the auspices of the afternoon Los Gatos Rotary Club whose …
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Operation Yellow Ribbon chairman Michael Frangadakis joins the state reserves in his late 50s.
Just after 9/11, Los Gatos Realtor Michael Frangadakis, 64, went to the U.S. Army recruiting office in San Jose and asked if there was anything an "old soldier from the '60s" could do to help the military as a civilian. A young buck sergeant gave the Vietnam War veteran a puzzled look and asked him his age. When he told him he was 54 years old, the sergeant and others in the room chuckled upon hearing that someone over the 42-age-limit wanted to join the reserves. "Needless to say, I walked out very embarrassed," remembers Frangadakis. But as the country went to war following the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, Frangadakis wanted to do something to help the young men and women being deployed to the Middle East. In 2003, he started the…
Monday, July 4, 2011
List of Los Gatos, Monte Sereno soldiers serving in the Middle East grows every year, names to be read during Fourth of July festivities today.
The names listed in this article are of local military personnel serving or who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Their families are from Los Gatos and Monte Sereno and are sponsored by the Los Gatos Rotary Club, the Los Gatos Lions Club and Grateful Citizens. Every Fourth of July, town officials read the names during Los Gatos' day-long Independence Day celebration at the civic center and Los Gatos High School. According to local Realtor Michael Frangadakis, chairman of Operation Yellow Ribbon, the annual tradition shows respect for their sacrifices. This is considered the most poignant part of the festivities, which wind down for a moment at around 1:30 p.m. to have the audience gather in front of Los Gatos High School to say the …
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Mayor Joe Pirzynski to read names of local men and women serving our country in the Middle East.
There will be no flashy fireworks display in Los Gatos this Fourth of July. Instead the town's patriotic celebration will feature the solemn reading of more than 60 names of Los Gatos and Monte Sereno military personnel serving in the Middle East. The recognition will be possible thanks to local Realtor Mike Frangadakis, who says he's happy the town continues the tradition because "if it wasn't for our military, we wouldn't have the free country that we can celebrate in. "It's about celebrating the nation's birthday, 1776 and the Fourth of July," Frangadakis said of the festivities, which will start at 11 a.m. at the civic center, 110 E. Main St. Entertaining the crowd will be Zenith Ark Project, the Sizzling Seniors, the Peninsula Banjo …
Ellen Manzo
10:44 pm on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Thank you for the great article on the Los Gatos Rotary and the good work being performed by Operation Yellow Ribbon. I was delighted to learn of the contributions Mike Frangadakis and his team have made to our very deserving veterans. I am involved in a different effort known as the Steak Team Mission. The Steak Team Mission consists of volunteers who travel to bases around the world to deliver… more ›