Every year at San Benito High School, the Associated Student Body selects a new beneficiary for the annual Benefit Drive. This year, several events have been put on to raise money for the beneficiary, Kaylin Dominguez, a young woman who had a severe stroke that had her go into cardiac arrest. This year, ASB is working hard to make sure that Kaylin, a Class of 2010 alumna, and her family get all the support they need.
ASB has put a lot of time and effort into the Benefit Drive, which included the Benefit Ball on Dec. 12. At the event in an SBHS gym, a check for $13,300 was presented to the Dominguez family, which owns and operates Suds Car Wash in Hollister. Nearly $14,000 of the $20,000 goal has been raised so far.
On April 22, 2014,Kaylin suffered a seizure, causing an anoxic brain injury and went into cardiac arrest at least four times. When she arrived at Stanford Hospital, her heart was only working at 5 percent. Her heart was repaired, but her brain suffered the most damage. After five-and-a-half weeks at Stanford she was sent to a rehab center, where she will most likely spend the next two years.
The Benefit Drive “was a proud accomplishment for ASB,” said senior Marisa Johnson.
The drive has helped the family to help offset hospital and medical bills. Several SBHS fundraisers, such as having $2 Tuesdays — where students are asked to donated $2 to the cause — restaurant donations, and other efforts have helped raise money for the family. David Dominguez, Kaylin’s father, is thankful that his alma mater and community are helping his daughter.
“It’s an honor to know that we live in a great town and have a great school that’s willing to support and help us. I was born and raised in Hollister, as well as my wife,” he said. “So I’m honored to have the school that I went to support us like this,” said Dominguez, whose wife, Kelly, is also an SBHS grad.
“Kaylin’s kind of a shy person, but once you get to know her, she’s pretty crazy and silly,” her father noted. “She likes to do goofy things and enjoys helping people.”
After graduating San Benito High School in 2010, Kaylin attended Gavilan College where she enrolled in the cosmetology program, graduated and got her license. She subsequently worked as a stylist in Morgan Hill.
“We are very thankful and grateful for everything that this community has done for us, it’s a small town where everyone watches out for everybody else,” said David Dominguez. “I wouldn’t change it for the world and that’s why I buy everything local to support the town we have supported the balers for many years and we continue on supporting the Balers in anyway possible.”