Braving a day of heavy showers and cold weather, over 40 people, friends and family, gathered at Pizzadilly Restaurant to celebrate Dr.G’s 69th birthday. The cheerful celebration started promptly at 6:00pm and was adorned with colorful table decorations, banners, streamers and lots of friendly faces.
For many DrG supporters, this type of gathering is fairly common and somewhat expected. DrG enjoys meeting with friends, and sharing fun times, great food and positive fellowship. As in typical fashion, DrG usually dresses up in one of his many costumes and loves taking pictures in order to create a birthday photo diary with the people who attend.
This particular gathering of Dr.G supporters was not only plenty of fun but served as a launching pad for DrGs formal announcement of his intent to run for City Council in November 2026. “Basically, most people knew DrG was going to run again, but this event made it official,” said Delma Ledesma, Woman’s Club President long time DrG supporter. “I’ve known him (DrG) for a long time,” she continued, and added, “I can always count on him to get things done and to help whenever possible.”
The evening started with an opening prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by young Brandon Morales who has been a fan of DrG his entire life. DrG then
played the national anthem on his trumpet, and then with everyone still standing, the entire group then sang a robust version of “Happy Birthday” before settling-in for a treat of delicious pizza. The food, pizza and salad, was prepared especially for the occasion by Shirwin and Denise, the new owners of Pizzadilly Restaurant.
“We sure had a great time,” explained June Hughes, who along with some helpers decorated the tables with cheerful table coverings and colorful adornments. All the colors, orange and blue, DrGs favorite, set the tone for an enjoyable evening. In addition, June was one of four people who grabbed everyone’s attention with their own “creative” rendition of telling a G-Story; essentially a fun tale of a common experience involving DrG and his community service. The stories were told by June, Rachel Ngo, Lisa Roo, and Delma Ledesma. “These stories are very positive, somewhat animated and genuinely heart-warming,” commented Norma Gallardo who added, “DrG sure has a lot of good friends.”
The purpose of this gathering is not just to celebrate Dr.G’s birthday, but planned in order to enjoy the company of good friends, good food, and good vibes. “Everything is positive,” said Josie Garcia, who brought her son Ayden to the celebration. There is generally no agenda, and no official business. However, with a room full of cheering supporters, this turned out to be a good opportunity to launch DrGs candidacy for Colton City Council. “We all knew this announcement was coming,” said Linda and Mel Hanson, who are not only good friends, but often join DrG for many of his clean-up projects.
For those who know Dr.G, which are many in the community, know that he maintains close contact with the residents. He is available, is always willing to help as much as possible, and…willing to “roll up his sleeves.”
Congratulations to Dr.G on his 69th birthday which is officially March 4. May he be blessed with many more years to come, and may his service to the community continue to be a blessing to all those with whom he comes into contact.