San Jose school honors community heroes on 1-year anniversary of Coyote Creek flood

SAN JOSE (KGO) -- Shirakawa Elementary School's principal in San Jose hosted a ceremony Wednesday to thank and recognize several community members, students, teachers and others in the Franklin-Mckinley School District for raising money to help thousands of people affected by this disaster.

They were able to raise about $38,000 for gift cards and another $10,000 in cash to distribute to the 100 families at Shirakawa Elementary School who were impacted by the flooding.

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Food, clothing and other items were also collected to hand out in the following weeks last year.

David Gomez and his two daughters, Gabriella and Esther Gomez, were among about a dozen others given certificates of recognition for helping out in the donation center on campus. "It just felt good to help people who lost everything," Shirakawa Elementary School student Gabriella Gomez said.

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"It's a good life lesson for everybody, especially the children, to put back in the community when the community calls for us," David Gomez said.

About $14,000 people in San Jose were impacted by the flooding. Flood losses have been estimated at $73 million.