THE MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS

CLUB HIGHLIGHTS THE MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS

By Jessica Beals, Club Events Coordinator

Activities surrounding the holiday season are a heartwarming testimony to the importance of family, joy and goodwill in Cordillera Ranch. Family-friendly gatherings are set within the spectacularly decorated Clubhouse, which is transformed into a Texas-style winter wonderland where ornaments and garland are truly hung with care. In fact, with Christmas trees and wreaths decorating all buildings on the Ranch, it’s easy to be drawn into the spirit of the season. We are happy to celebrate these holiday traditions at the Clubhouse.

TURKEY TROT

Date: November 25 Time: 9:30am Registration Opens / 10:00am Run or Walk Begins

They say that Christmas officially begins right after Thanksgiving dinner. If this belief holds true for you, then before you hit the malls, take a little trot around the Clubhouse to work off that extra helping of dressing (Texas Fun Fact: we call it dressing whether it’s stuffed or not!). The Friday after Thanksgiving marks the annual Turkey Trot where more than 100 Cordillera Ranch residents come out for a 5k walk or run followed by some healthy breakfast choices at the end of the race. All ages are welcome, so push the kids in strollers and bring along your pets!

UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER GOLD RUSH / BLUE SANTA FUNDRAISER

Date: November 30 Time: 5:00 to 9:00pm

Ugly Christmas Sweaters are cool, so put on your most outrageous holiday attire and join your neighbors who are all vying for the coveted 1st Place Award, bragging rights included. It’s also cool to help local kids have a very merry Christmas. Cordillera Cares is partnering with the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office BLUE SANTA program to fill stockings for children this holiday season and you can bring your donations along for this special fundraiser! Please reach out to Vicki Hansen at vhansen@cordilleraranch.com for more information.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

Date: December 10 Time: Reserved seating at 9:00 and 11:00am Picture Fee: $15 for the first photo; $5 for each additional photo

Kids, bring your whole family to the Clubhouse for breakfast with Santa and enjoy all of your favorites such as Chef-crafted omelets, traditional pancakes and so much more. Be sure to dress festively to have your pictures taken while you tell Santa what you would like for Christmas. There will also be Christmas crafts to make while your parents and grandparents are enjoying mimosas and entertainment by Peter Gloria. If your wish list changes, do not worry — the Letters to Santa Mailbox will be out during all of December to make sure your letters arrive at the North Pole on time.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING

Date: December 17 Time: Reserved seating 9:00 to 11:00am and 12:00 to 2:00pm

Welcome to the ultimate candy land! Every year more than 50 kids attend our annual holiday Gingerbread House Decorating Party. We provide everything needed to create these colorful confections: assembled gingerbread houses, icing and candies to decorate and, best of all, we take care of the cleanup! Drinks, a brunch buffet and holiday treats are also included, and did we mention that the Gingerbread Houses are completely edible?

Watch for more fabulous holiday events to pop up around the Ranch. We look forward to celebrating with you and we wish you and your loved ones merriment and magic during this holiday season.

Jessica Beals is the Club Events Coordinator at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. She can be reached at jbeals@cordilleraranch.com and 830.336.9176.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

CORDILLERA CARES CONTINUES TO GAIN TRACTION, SUPPORTING FOUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS.

By Brianna Botine, Director of Membership & Lodging

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

When Maureen and Joe Cheben took over the duties of coordinating the Families of Cordillera Ranch Adopt-a-Highway Program in March of 2016, they inherited a 12-year legacy of hardworking volunteers who were even recognized by the Texas Department of Transportation Adopt-a-Highway Litter Prevention Program. Cordillera Ranch residents continue to ban together to clean up trash along two miles of Highway 46. On Saturday, September 17, Cordillera Cares partnered with the group and with a team of 11 volunteers were able to pick up 21 bags of trash and a lot of loose construction material.

SERVICE FOR SERVICE

On Monday, August 29, Cordillera Cares through The Clubs at Cordillera Ranch hosted the Boerne Blaze Special Olympians’ end-of-season swim meet and pool party. Boerne Blaze Special Olympics falls under Special Olympics Texas – San Antonio Area 20 and for more than 15 years has provided special

athletes a safe and supportive outlet to participate is sports and engage in social camaraderie. 14 employee volunteers hosted 75 people at the Cordillera Ranch pool and the Blaze families were blown away by the kindness. Both organizations look forward to partnering on many more events!

OUT DRIVE HUNGER

The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch hosted Hill Country Family Services (HCFS) for their 7th Annual Out Drive Hunger Golf Tournament on Monday, September 26. HCFS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving Kendall County residents in crisis. The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch were the Golf Course Sponsor for the event and eight volunteers from Cordillera Cares worked throughout the course.

A BLUE CHRISTMAS

Cordillera Cares is excited to announce their partnership with the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) Blue Santa Program. For more than 25 years, this branch of the Blue Santa program has provided Christmas presents to about 400 disadvantaged Kendall County children annually. Last year 145 families benefited from the assistance of the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, many local businesses and individuals.

The KCSO Blue Santa Program was originally called the Brown Santa Program but the name changed when the Sheriff’s Office, Boerne Police Association and the Fair Oaks Police Department joined forces in 2004. The program now consists of the Sheriff’s Office, Hill Country Family Services, Boerne Community Coalition, Boerne I.S.D. and the American Legion. The program continues to grow every year and Cordillera Cares is proud to be a new partner. (www.kendallcountysheriff.com/blue-santa)

STOCKINGS! This year Cordillera Cares’ mission is to donate 400 age and gender-appropriate stockings for these kids. This is Cordillera Cares’ biggest and most significant philanthropic effort of the year and is requesting help from community families. There will be five opportunities for the Cordillera Cares team to volunteer and get involved: Shopping, Sponsoring a Stocking, Helping at Blue Santa Gold Rush, Stuffing Stockings and Blue Santa Distribution.

On Wednesday, November 30, Cordillera Cares will be taking donations for stocking sponsorships at the Club’s annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Gold Rush. Each stocking will be valued at $25 and broken down by age group and gender. Stockings will include toys, games, stocking hat and mittens and other goodies based on age groups. Volunteers can look forward to community fellowship through shopping, stuffing, sponsoring and supporting these Kendall County kids and the Sheriff’s Office. Please reach out to Vicki Hansen at vhansen@cordilleraranch.com to volunteer and donate.

Brianna Botine is the Director of Membership & Lodging at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. She can be reached at bbotine@cordilleraranch.com and 830.336.9177.