Creative pumpkins on parade at Silicon Valley nonprofit event

It used to be enough to just carve a couple triangles for eyes and a gap-toothed mouth into a hollowed-out pumpkin and — poof! — you had your Halloween jack o’lantern.

But that just doesn’t cut it at the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits’ Be Our Guest luncheon, which was held Thursday afternoon on the field at a sunny and warm Excite Ballpark in San Jose.

There were plenty of attendees in costume — Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein went all out as Willy Wonka and Los Altos City Councilmember Neysa Fligor made a fantastic Queen Charlotte from “Bridgerton” — but the decorated pumpkins were the stars.

Leslie Rodriguez used her pumpkin as the base for a coconut tree in a nod to Vice President Kamala Harris, Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee used a couple of gourds to depict rodent chef Ratatouille tending to a bubbling stock pot; Santa Clara County Food Systems Manager Cayce Hill turned hers into an overflowing popcorn bucket; VTA staff had a trio of pumpkins showing light-rail trains in some spooky environments; and Supervisor Sylvia Arenas turned her gourd into a garlic bulb.

Some people tackled political issues. Assemblymember Alex Lee’s pumpkin was the centerpiece of a diorama about high gas prices, both Working Partnerships USA and SV@Home touted Proposition 5 with their pumpkins, and Assemblymember Gail Pellerin used the “brat” trend to get out one message: “vote.”

There was some real artistry, too. Mara Low from the Shortino Foundation displayed youth artist Krya Pagkas’ homage to Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” on her pumpkin and recently ousted Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools Mary Ann Dewan’s pumpkin exhibited art by Adriana Chaverri based on the children’s book “Beneath.”

But my favorite had to be from San Jose City Councilmember Pam Foley. Claire Bang, her communications and community relations manager, transformed six small pumpkins into frosted donuts nestled in a pink cardboard box that looked good enough to eat.

The event, now in its 17th year, also recognized several nonprofits and community leaders. The Collaborative Impact Award went to the groups that were part of the “Rescue Our Medical Care Campaign” to fight HCA’s closing of Regional Medical Center’s trauma unit; the Nonprofit Ally Award went to Applied Materials Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and Irma Zoepf.

Isela Reyes of Sacred Heart Community Service received the Emerging Nonprofit Leader Award, Grail Family Services received the Nonprofit of the Year Award and Latinas Contra Cancer Executive Director Darcie Green was honored with the Patricia A. Gardner Changemaker Award.

Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits CEO Kyra Kazantzis presented lifetime achievement awards to Catholic Charities Santa Clara County CEO Greg Kepferle and Santa Clara County Supervisor CIndy Chavez. Kepferle is retiring at the end of this year after 19 years at the helm of the social services agency, and Chavez will be leaving San Jose next month to take the job of county manager in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.

STAGE FRIGHT: Nothing could be scarier for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley than hearing “boos” at a show for the first time in its 54-year history. Fear not, though, the catcalls aren’t because of hair-raising performances but a little team loyalty from Dub Nation.

The boos come during a scene in “King James” — the hit play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph — when a character describes how his favorite team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, defeated the Warriors in the 2016 NBA finals. That’s a good sign for the start of hoops season, and fans in the audience have even been showing up in Warriors gear to show their support.

No word if Steph Curry’s paid a visit yet, but he may have a bit on his plate right now. There’s still time, though, as the show runs through Nov. 3 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Get tickets at www.theatreworks.org.

GOOD SPORTS: The Sharks have had a rough season so far, but the team scored a win off the ice this month when the Sharks Foundation donated $30,000 to refurbish a hockey rink for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley.

Kids from the Boys & Girls Club attended the ribbon cutting of the “Tealtop” rink at the Smythe Clubhouse in San Jose on Oct. 11 and even got to see players Barclay Goodrow, Givani Smith and Carl Grunstrom — as well as beloved mascot S.J. Sharkie. (OK, Sharks president Jonathan Becher and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan were also there, but I’m not sure the kids were quite as excited to see them.)

Let’s hope all this good karma Team Teal is building up in the community turns into some wins soon.

SEVEN DECADES OF FASHION: The Bellarmine Mothers’ Guild Fashion Show has certainly grown in its seven decades of raising money for tuition assistance. The first was held in a backyard garden and it has changed venues many times over the years — including being held outdoors on the campus of the Jesuit boys school in San Jose during the pandemic.

Well, the 70th annual event Nov. 16 will be at the Signia by Hilton in San Jose, with lunch and dinner shows featuring Bellarmine students and young women from other schools as models, as well as some parents, faculty and staff.

Proceeds benefit the school’s direct tuition assistance fund and its tuition assistance endowment, which provide help for about one in four Bellarmine students. Online tickets are available through Oct. 31 at www.bcp.org/fashionshow.