Community Matters
Beginning with the campaign to fund the first library in Saratoga, the Saratoga Foothill Club has a long history of community involvement. Today’s members continue to honor the objectives of the club founders by supporting various community activities.
Project Linus
Each fall and spring, club members gather at the clubhouse to assemble fringed, no-sew fleece blankets. Completed blankets are donated to the San Jose, California branch of Project Linus, a national charitable organization that collects and distributes donor-made fleece blankets to children all over the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.
Scholarship Awards
In the spring, the Saratoga Foothill Club works with the Saratoga High School guidance department and counselors at West Valley College to select scholarship recipients.
The American Heritage Award is given to a Saratoga High School senior who has excelled in the social sciences.
The Fine Arts Award is given to an outstanding Saratoga High School senior who is studying the fine arts.
The Legacy Award is given to an outstanding high school senior who is the daughter or granddaughter of a Foothill Club member.
The STEM Award is given to a current female West Valley College student who is studying science, technology, electronics, or mathematics in order to transfer to a 4-year school for further study. This student may apply for the award for a second time the following year.
The Reentry Award is given to a current West Valley College student who is restarting his/her college education in one of the college’s two-year certificate programs with the intention of reentering the work place. This student may apply for the award for a second time the following year.
Memorial Day Observance
Since 1928, the Foothill Club has partnered with the City of Saratoga to organize its annual Memorial Day Observance, an important civic event and one of Saratoga’s oldest traditions. On this meaningful day, the Saratoga community comes together to honor those who gave their lives for our country, along with veterans and current members of the United States Armed Services.
The Foothill Club President opens the event by delivering brief remarks at Blaney Plaza’s Memorial Arch. After a flag raising ceremony, attendees walk up Oak Street as part of the procession to Madronia Cemetery for the 10:00 a.m. service. The Memorial Day program features local musicians and speakers, including the Foothill Club President, the Mayor of Saratoga, and a keynote speaker such as a United States veteran or current Armed Services member. The solemn ceremony closes with Taps sounding and echoing throughout the cemetery.
Holiday Giving Project
In December, the Foothill Club oversees a Holiday Wish Drive for donations to Family Giving Tree, a non-profit organization that provides holiday gifts for local San Jose area families in need.
For more than 35 years, Family Giving Tree has helped fulfill holiday wishes for underserved members of our local community. Through its annual holiday wish and backpack drives, this non-profit has touched the lives of nearly 2.5 million recipients. Foothill Club members contribute and support Family Giving Tree’s goals of 1) fulfilling a wish of a child, adult, or senior in need may not seem like much, but it’s everything for someone who might not otherwise receive a gift; and 2) that a single, specially chosen gift lets them know that someone in the community cares.
West Valley Community Services
Park-It Market
The Foothill Club provides financial support for the West Valley Community Services Park-It Market program, which addresses poverty by providing essential food assistance, support services, and housing assistance to low-income and unhoused individuals and families in Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and West San Jose.