NATALIA SALCIDO LEGACY FUND
One of the earliest fans of Paul’s Firehouse Granola was Natalia Salcido, the daughter of Chris Salcido, my good friend and colleague at the firehouse.
Chris enjoyed my granola as a snack at the firehouse and would often bring it home to share with his daughter Natalia, who loved it.
Natalia, then a sophomore at Christopher High School in Gilroy, CA, would often take Paul’s Firehouse Granola with her for a quick, high-energy snack during cheerleading practice.
The only problem was that the granola, packaged in a soft brown paper bag, would get smashed at the bottom of Natalia’s cheerleading bag. So Natalia who was always a good problem solver, scavenged three glass jars from her kitchen cupboards and poured the granola from the bag into the jars to protect the granola and keep it fresh. She always made certain to reattach the Paul’s Firehouse Granola label to keep the product “legit.” The idea stuck, and that is how Paul’s Firehouse Granola came to be packaged in a glass jar.
In May 2015, Natalia's life was tragically cut short. While riding in a car with a couple of schoolmates, Natalia was killed in a car accident. It was just one week short of her 16th birthday.
Natalia will always be remembered through Paul’s Firehouse Granola. We proudly honor Natalia’s legacy by packaging our granola in a special-edition glass jar with a red lid. Every jar of Paul’s Firehouse Granola carries an “NS” on the label in Natalia’s memory.
Natalia excelled at just about everything. Besides cheerleading, she had many other passions including sports, theater, music and art. Natalia was incredibly kind and caring of everyone she met. Her friends describe her as a natural leader--focused and goal-oriented. She was a role model for others, especially her sister Noelle.
To keep Natalia’s spirit alive, her family has established the Natalia Salcido Legacy Fund, a charity to help other teens have the opportunities Natalia enjoyed in life and to raise awareness about distracted driving.
Paul’s Firehouse Granola has proudly donated $1,500 to Natalia Salcido Legacy Fund.
Please join us in honoring and remembering Natalia’s life by making a donation to The Natalia Salcido Legacy Fund. For more information, please visit the Gilroy Foundation's website at gilroyfoundation.org.
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