On the road to recovery following a fatal and tragic mass shooting last summer, Gilroy will build toward a new future with a center in the city devoted to honoring its fallen and surviving citizens.
The Gilroy Strong Resiliency Center at The Neon Exchange, 7365 Monterey Road, will be celebrated with a grand opening at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. The center will offer counseling, trauma education and compensation for victims of the July 28 Gilroy Garlic Festival mass shooting.
The center will focus on group counseling, victim advocacy and compensating those who survived the shooting that left three people dead and another dozen injured, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office.
“Like people, communities can crumble after a tragedy,” DA Jeff Rosen said in a statement Wednesday. “Today, we honor this city’s heroic spirit through our art contest and a Center that shows a continued commitment to healing.”
A San Jose Abraham Lincoln High School senior will be awarded $1,500 for her winning entry in a “Justice for All” art contest, themed “#GilroyStrong.”
Other works of art by high school students from around Santa Clara County will also be displayed at the grand opening event.
The center will initially operate from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with services to expand in April, according to the district attorney’s office.
“I wanted it to be less about the act of violence that Gilroy has endured, but more about the sense of community,” Ana-Gabriela Cadena, the contest winner, said in a statement. “I read about the community coming together and how Gilroy does not want to be known for the violence, but its resiliency.”