DELANO, Calif. (KERO) —
90 years of life, countless memories, and a community that wanted to give back.
Gary Girard has spent decades putting the community first and now, with a new sign, they’re saying thank you.
A new name on an old building, for Gary Girard, it carries nearly a lifetime of memories.
When asked how he felt seeing his name on the sign, Girard said:
“Well one word, overwhelmed and maybe not as deserving as other people who aren’t really recognized.”
On Monday, friends, former students, and current Delano High students gathered to celebrate Girard on his 90th birthday.
Girard first walked these halls as a student himself, writing for the school newspaper and discovering his passion for storytelling.
That passion eventually took him to Fresno State to study journalism. Eventually finding his way back way back to Delano, spending 39 years teaching English at Delano High.
Chelsi Gutierrez, a Delano High alumna, remembers his classroom as a place where students could gather, work together and turn to Girard for advice.
“His classroom was a place of comfort, every lunch period all of us would get together and either be working on cheerleading items of yearbook items or press club items and he just always had wonderful advice for all of us that I’ve taken into my adult life,” said Gutierrez.
Decades later, that same spirit of support is still being felt by students today.
Ayari Pompa, a current Delano High student, said Girard continues to go out of his way to support students and their families.
“I just had my harvest holidays show and he goes out of his way to support you, to support the Delano students, there were two students from Delano high school and he paid for 10 tickets for both families so both families wouldn’t have to pay and I think thats really beautiful,” said Pompa.
Showing up for Delano is something Girard has made a tradition of.
He has attended every Delano High home football game since 1962, documenting the wins, the losses, and even player statistics. Sharing those stories through his Facebook page, “Delano Ramblings,” keeping the community connected one post at a time.
His daughter, Rene Carson, says that dedication has always been a part of who her father is.
“He’s always a person that does the work behind the scenes and he just loves being an active part of this community. It just really means a lot to him that he has touched this many lives and that they took time out their day to acknowledge him,” said Carson.
The celebrations don’t stop here, the school is also putting together a display for Mr. Girard with memorabilia chosen by him personally.
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