The GHS Senior class went with a sportsman theme for Bob’s Costume Contest at Ace Hardware, decking their skeleton out in camo gear and packing his ice chest with all sorts of goodies. Photo by Seti Long

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Since the Candelario family purchased Ace Hardware in Gridley back in 2021, they have been finding creative ways to connect with and support our communities.

Owners Dagoberto and Katie Candelario have younger children and have expressed to the Herald that they wish to cultivate a fun, family-friendly atmosphere in the store, especially for the younger crowd. Katie says that in their first Halloween as owners of Ace they bought a giant skeleton and her son Antonio lovingly named him “Bob”. They threw an Ace red vest on Bob’s bones and considered him their first new hire.

Fast forward to 2023 and they have expanded their collection of Bobs, but with purpose. Dago shares that he, his family, and his store are always looking for ways to support area students when Katie came up with a fantastically fun competition for a good cause. Thus, the Candelario’s announced Bob’s Costume Contest.

Ace went out and bought more giant skeletons, bringing their total to four – one for each of the GH high school classes to decorate. “I wanted to make it fun and heat up the competition, so we decided to award the class with the most votes $500 for their Senior Sober Grad party,” says Katie. Dago added that they have supported the last two graduating classes and thought that Bob’s Costume Contest would be a great way for all of the high school classes to get started fundraising towards their own sober grad, not just the seniors. Katie contacted the school, and a new spooky event was born.

With little time to spare before Halloween, the GHS classes got to work. Students were monitored by adults and so they didn’t clog the isles of the store and cycled through in small groups to participate in decorating. Ace allowed the students to use some of their stock as props, which also acted to highlight potential gift ideas for the upcoming holiday season.

The Freshmen put forth a strong showing, decorating Bob in Dia de Los Muertos garb, including colorful flags, flowers and more. Sophomores kept things hot with a BBQ Dad Bob, his ice chest overflowing with fresh “meat” for the grill. The Juniors made a statement with their Bob in a box, putting a “Barbie” spin on things. The Seniors Bob was barely visible in his duck blind and camo, representing hunters and sportsmen in the area. All displays were fun, quirky, and horrifically well done. The Candelarios shared that every time they walked down the main isle of the store, they would laugh and smile at the creativity of the students and that shoppers loved the displays.

The public was given a window of a few days to visit the Bobs and vote on their favorite. The Candelarios tallied the votes on Halloween night, announcing the winner November 1st. And the winner is…. Senior Sportsman Bob!

The Candelarios say that Bob’s Costume Contest will be returning again next year for the enjoyment of all. “We love giving back to the community and this was just a way to have some fun while doing so.”