GILROY
Thanks to the latest donation from Don and Karen Christopher, the high school that bears their name will be the recipient of an annual $35,000 grant.
In addition to the 10-acre parcel of land they already gave the Gilroy school district, the family donated $75,000 to the school just before the district passed a $150 million school facilities bond.
Christopher High Principal John Perales said he was rendered speechless when he heard the news.
“I’m just amazed by their generosity,” he said. “This will benefit kids for the next 100 years and more. That’s a really powerful statement.”
The family established a designated, donor-advised fund with the Gilroy Foundation, meaning that every spring, 5 percent of the $700,000 principal investment will be distributed to the school, to benefit whatever programs Perales and the Christophers decide upon.
“They’re giving to something they believe in,” said Perales, who’s gotten to know the family better since he was named principal. “They’re excited about what we’re doing.”
Although Perales did not know what the first installment would fund, he said he will sit down with the family every year to discuss the school’s needs.
“We got a lot of needs,” he laughed. “You name it.”
Don Christopher, whose property is located near Hollister, also supported the school by campaigning for the bond measure and attaching his name to the ballot argument in favor of its passage.
“He wants to make a difference for kids in our community,” Perales said of Don Christopher.
The Christophers did not immediately return phone calls.
