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The Chino Basque Club, located in the greater Los Angeles area, will celebrate its 50^th anniversary tomorrow and will do so including cultural events after inviting its members and friends to participate in an ambitious “oral history” project and the recompilation of its rich past that it has been working on over the last years. Presentations and talks by Mitch Gariador, Jeanette Bidart, and Marianna Etcheverria will accompany dinner and performances by Gauden Bat and Noka.

Chino, CA.  The Chino Basque Club had wanted to celebrate its first half-century in this way, sharing with its members and friends an evening that will begin at 4pm and run into the night.  Besides dinner and the festive component of the event will be presentations by Mitch Gariador on the special importance of www.bridge2pyrenees.org the oral history project that has been carried out over the last 15 years or so with the collaboration and effort of local Basques, Jeanette Bidart and Marianna Etcheverria, whose work is included on the website.

The three will address the work done, the ups and downs of this volunteer project that has been carried out to date, and the importance of each family to research and know its origins and actively keep its own history.  For the most part, this information comes from older generations with their documents and photos, and other materials held by each family that they strongly encourage to be preserved.

The program for Saturday also includes dinner with performances by the Gauden Bat dancers, accompanied by the music of Noka, comprised of Andrea Bidart, Begoña Echeverria and Cathy Petrissans.  There will also be plenty of singing provided by the local community.  The event will pay tribute to those who have worked throughout these years to contribute their grain of sand to the Chino Basque Club and the Basque community.

Here is a video of the club's history available on the club’s webpage.

Part of the contents of the presentations can be consulted on this website: www.bridge2pyrenees.org. The page, that hopes to preserve the Basque history in southern California complete with photos, writings, newspaper clippings and other materials, has been online for years and is now debuting its new address.  Its aim is also to encourage as many Basque families as possible to participate in this important collective task.

Here is an example of some of the interviews that are available on this website:

• Interview with Catalin (Jaureguiberry) Gastelluberry (Iholdi), done in 2014
• Interview with  Alejandro Echeverria (Azpilkueta, Baztan), done in 2013
• Interview with  Monique (Elgart) Berterretche (Izpura), done in 2005
• Interview with  Raymond Bachoc (Irrisarri), done in 2005
• Interview with  Catherine Dourisboure (Irigoyen) (Gamarte), in 2004
• Interview with  Errecalde sisters (born in California), Jeanne Plaa eta Noeline Mocho (2008)
• Interview with  Jean/Yuanes Mocho (Eiheralarre), in 2001
• Interview with  Joaquin Gamboa (Sunbilla), in 2004

The website includes sections like: a photo archive, papers and other documents, videos, special photo collections, various documents, tombstones among other resources.

The event announcement on the Chino Basque Club’s website, here.

IMPORTANT: During the event, photos will be taken by house photographer, Linda Iriart, who will also take pictures club families and members, in hopes of including this information in the club’s 50^th Anniversary photo album.