By Mila Glodava
The restoration of Infanta Central School’s Gabaldon, in ruins for nearly four decades, would not have been possible without the collaboration of many. A simple question, posed by this writer in 1995, why it has not been rebuilt, has turned the school, town and church officials as well as local citizens in Infanta and abroad to collaborate with Metro Infanta Foundation,m 10 years later, to restore the building where we first learned our ABC’s.
It would take another six year to make the restoration a reality. It would never have been possible, however, without the help of the Foundation’s Friends of Infanta at St. Thomas More (STM) Parish and beyond. Chair Tricia Sullivan pulled all the stops to make “A Night to Remember” 10 years ago a success. Tricia and her executive committee brought in the famous priest chef Fr. Leo Patalinghug, of EWTN’s “Grace Before Meals” fame and title of his book. The committee also solicited and coordinated all auction items that would be of interest to guests.
“This Colorado event, said Fr. Leo, “was truly a smorgasbord!” “A Night to Remember,” he said was “an evening filled with cultural dances, a few people arrayed in Filipino dress, and of course tons and tons of Filipino food, including the famous “lechon” – or roasted pig.”“
“A Night to Remember,” along with “A Victorian Tea Party,” led by English friend Vicki Turner, and “An Italian Night,” led by Italians Joanne Horne and daughter Maribeth Hanzlik, earned almost half of the Gabaldon’s estimated construction cost of $200,000. In 2011, 16 years after the initial question on the ruins of the Gabaldon building, Metro Infanta Foundation turned over to the Infanta Elementary Central School at the inauguration of the restored building.
Indeed, the generosity and help of the Foundation’s Friends of Infanta helped assure that the more than 400 students now using the Gabaldon would no longer be cramped in some dilapidated classrooms and old school buildings on campus.
If interested in helping Metro Infanta Foundation in carrying out projects such as the restoration of the Gabaldon, please click the DONATE button above. You may also mail you contribution to: Metro Infanta Foundation, Inc., 7350 Braun Way, Arvada, CO 80005. Metro Infanta Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, with EIN 84-1353940. Thank you
