A Message from the  Hail Mary Club

The Hail Mary Club was founded by a group of Garces alumni, parents and supporters to help "Enhance the Garces Experience". This enhancement has taken many forms so far such as: assisting athletic teams with equipment, helping the student body with rooter buses, upgrading the Campbell Field House and weight room, replacing the plaque on the Father Garces Statue; assisting in ticket sales for the Garces BBQ; regrading and smoothing the track; and most recently the refurbishment of the gymnasium lobby and restrooms. The gym project has two important components that were vital in our decision to support it: 1) it serves as a major gateway into Garces for students, family, friends and the public; and 2) the project gives us all a small glimpse into the untapped potential for networking within the best group of alumni and supporters in Bakersfield.  To undertake this project the HMC recruited a group of donors that were able to offer cash donations, and another group of donors that offered donated materials, skilled labor and oversight of the project. If you have not seen the finished product, I encourage you to do so. It's an astonishing upgrade to one of the oldest buildings on campus. Working together we can make great things happen.

Jeremy Tobias

President

Mrs. Louise Smiddy passed away on December 5th. Louise was the mother-in-law to Richard Fanucchi '83, and grandmother to Julia Fanucchi '16 and Dominic Fanucchi '18.

At an age when many college graduates are still struggling to find work in their chosen fields and move out on their own, Jessica Feghali '09 is a program director for the International Refugee Assistance Project's Lebanon office, which she helped establish about 14 months ago.  To date, the group has resettled more than 2,000 refugees in eight different countries but, with offices in New York, Jordan and Lebanon, it can provide legal assistance virtually anywhere. Jessica, a 2011 cum laude UCLA graduate with a bachelor's degree in political science, earned her law degree from Fordham University School of Law in New York. 

Alumni Grandparents of Thomas Grimm:  Thomas and Mary (Anspach) Berry '79

 

Alumni Great Grandparents:  Robert Anspach '54 and Rosemary Anspach

 

Alumni Aunts:  Annie Berry '12 and  Kellie (Grimm) Merriman '02

 

Alumni Uncles:  Michael Berry '08,  Brett Grimm '08,  Chase Grimm '11, and  David Grimm '14

Garces alumna Ana "Lily" Amirpour '93 is the writer and director of "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night," which was the fourth film in FLICS International Cinema Society's 34th season and was shown at the Fox Theater on October 30, 2015. The film is set in an Iranian ghost town called Bad City, the Persian-language movie follows the Girl (Sheila Vand), a vampire dressed in a chador, who at night targets bad men to sink her teeth into, and Arash (Arash Marandi), a young landscaper struggling to help his addict father. "It's an Iranian fairytale, kind of like a comic book world," said director and writer Ana Lily Amirpour. "When you make movies, you get to go, 'Once upon a time there was a ...' and fill in the blank."  Amirpour was born in the U.K. and moved with her family to Miami before moving again to Bakersfield, where she lived for six or seven years as a teenager, graduating from Garces Memorial High School in 1993. 

Alumni Veterans and Servicemen

Our apologies to the alumni who were left off the list in the November Veteran's Issue of the Garces Memorial Alumni e-Newsletter.  A big thank you to those of you who alerted us to the alumni we missed!  If there is anyone else we have missed, please let us know so that we have an accurate record of the Garces Rams who have served our country. A heartfelt thank you to our alumni who fought for our country and to those who are still doing so. May God bless you. 

O. A. "Skip" Schweizer '54

Pat Walsch '54

Lee Breece '55

Gene Bonas '57

John Clerou '61  

Joe Schimandle '63

Tom Anchordoquy '65

Tom Peltier '65

Tom Joerger '65

Dave Rangel '66

John Barry '66

Thomas Swertfager '69

John Joerger '70

Doug Fox '71 

Steve Kobliska '71

Michael Jimenez '96

Jordan Finch '10

Gino Valpredo was one of the most successful student-athletes to ever attend Garces contributing to multiple valley championships in both football and baseball.  Gino graduated in 1988 but not before setting several school football records, some that still stand today.  Gino still holds the school records for career rushing attempts with 636 and for field goals in a season with seven.  Gino set several school records that stood for almost two decades - single season rushing, career rushing, single season rushing attempts, single season rushing/receiving, career rushing/receiving, career total points scored.  During his football career with Garces, Gino amassed 3,630 rushing yards, 4,165 total yards, and scored 308 points for the Rams.  He played on three League Championship football teams and three Valley Championship football teams in 1985, 1986 and 1987.  He was named All-League in football in 1985, 1986 and 1987 and named All-Area in 1986 and 1987.  Gino also excelled in baseball and played on three League Championship teams in 1986, 1987 and 1988 and two Valley Championship teams in 1987 and 1988.  Gino was named All-League in baseball in 1986, 1987 and 1988 and All-Area in 1987 and 1988.

After graduating from Garces, Gino went on to play football for four years of college.  He played at Bakersfield College Renegades where they were the J.C. National Champions and Gino was named Honorable Mention All-American.  He left BC in the spring of 1989 with a scholarship toArizona State University.  Gino redshirted his first year at ASU and started for the Sun Devils at fullback in 1991 and 1992.  Gino graduated from ASU in 1992 with a BA in Sociology.

After college graduation, Gino returned to Bakersfield and began working with his mother, Tonia Valpredo, and sisters, Monica Sacco and Lanette Caratan, at the family business, Luigi's Italian Restaurant and Delicatessen.  Gino has been instrumental in expanding their operations to include hosting banquets, catering, and new menu options.  He is an ambassador for Garces and has been very supportive of, and generous to, Garces over the years.  You can often find Gino on the sidelines at Garces Rams football games.  Not only does he support Garces through his family's restaurant, he continuously donates his time and his talents to our school.  Gino, along with a group of alumni and friends of Garces, established the Hail Mary Club in 2013, with all funds raised going to the betterment of the Garces Memorial.  Gino is also very active with and supportive of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Gino is married to Sandy and they have four children, two at Garces: Christian and Cole; and two future Rams: Nico and Angelina. 

SAVE THE DATE

Garces Formal Gala

Saturday, February 20th 

This year's Garces Gala is "Tapas y Tango".  The Gala Chairs are Garces alumna Raji Sanghera '87 and Maria (Bernal) Toretta '88.  For tickets, sponsor or auction item donation information please contact Director of Advancement  Tonya Abbott

Hot Stove Dinner