Antioch, it’s time to gear up for the brightest and the loudest day of the year!
Thursday, September 18th from 4PM to 8PM, the Antioch Recreation Department will host its sixth annual Big Truck Day– a day that gives families and kids of all ages an opportunity to learn more about local companies and the large vehicles they use to keep our community safe and green. Enjoy food truck options brought to you by Foodie Crew, while you see, touch and explore school buses, tractors, fire engines and many more vehicles that help our city function. Learn more about how to get involved with Big Truck Day when you visit antiochca.gov/big-truck-day.
Sixth Annual Big Truck Day, Thursday, September 18, 2025, 4:00PM-8:00PM at Prewett Family Park, 4703 Lone Tree Way, Antioch.
A special thank you to our event sponsors Republic Services, AT&T, Carbon Health and Antioch Charter Academy I. Learn how to become an event sponsor when you visit antiochca.gov/recreation/special-events.
SACRAMENTO, CA — In a stirring and impassioned announcement before his congregation last week, Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills (a congregation of over 10,000) issued an urgent call to action for Californians: mark your calendars and make your way to Sacramento on Tuesday, August 19th for a rally and lobby day opposing Assembly Bill 495, a bill critics say obliterates parental rights and creates legal loopholes making child kidnapping easy.
“I have to tell you, if this bill passes, I am going to ask you to leave the state of California,” Pastor Hibbs declared from the pulpit. “You got to get out. You got to run with your kids. You got to go.”
The bill is the first piece of legislation authored by newly elected Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez (D–San Fernando). She sold AB 495 as a “compassionate” solution for children of detained immigrant parents. But opponents warn the measure does far more, and far worse, than what its title suggests.
The Threat of AB 495: A Legal Loophole for Kidnapping?
The “Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025” would allow unrelated adults, broadly defined as an “adult caregiver” with a “mentoring relationship with the child” to assume custody-like control over a child through a one-page Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit. No court appearance. No notarization. No parental consent or notification. No background check. No verification of identity required.
“Presto, someone walks away with your child,” warned attorney and president of Our Duty-USA Erin Friday, who called AB 495 “a child trafficker’s and kidnapper’s dream bill.”
“California wants to let someone that is not related to your child remove her from school, enroll her in any other school in the state, authorize any medical treatment of her, including mental health services and drugs, without the parents’ notice and knowledge or consent. This is not fear-mongering. I’m not being hyperbolic,” she said. “These unintended consequences are terrifying, and they are unavoidable.”
Even medical decisions, including psychiatric drug prescriptions and sex-trait modification procedures, could be authorized by these unvetted adults without the knowledge or consent of the child’s parents.
August 19th Rally: Mobilizing for Parental Rights
Real Impact and Capitol Resource Institute have pulled together a coalition of parental rights advocates, legal experts, pastors, and concerned citizens, to hold the “NO on AB 495 Rally and Lobby Day” featuring Pastor Hibbs as keynote speaker. Other speakers include best-selling author and speaker Heidi St. John and Jonathan Keller, President of California Family Council, with more speakers to be announced soon.
“I’m going to ask all of you to drive, bus, fly, I don’t care how you get there,” Hibbs told his church. “We’re looking for a minimum of 5000 people to be there that day.”
Schedule – Tuesday, August 19, 2025
1:00 PM PT – Rally Begins (West Steps of Capitol, 1315 10th Street, Sacramento)
2:00 PM PT – Lobby Training
2:30 PM PT – Legislative Office Visits
This isn’t the first time Hibbs has rallied thousands to the Capitol. A previous event back in 2022 drew nearly 2000 people to the Capitol to protest a bill to legalize infanticide. Organizers hope to top that turnout this time.
A State in Crisis
Hibbs’ warning is dire, and he isn’t mincing words. “I would not subject my child to one second in this public school system with this new law, AB 495,” he thundered.
California Family Council agrees the bill is incredibly dangerous. “AB 495 is a grave threat to the God-given responsibility of parents to raise and protect their children,” said Greg Burt, CFC’s Vice President. “It undermines every safeguard we have in place for child welfare and does so in the name of compassion. But compassion without guardrails is not mercy, it is madness.”
A Biblical Call to Courage
Pastor Hibbs was clear: this is a line in the sand.
“If you have kids in the state of California and this passes, you gotta go,” he said. “Your child’s safety is number one in your life, and I don’t care if you like the weather, and I never thought that day would ever come when I would encourage you to leave.
California Family Council works to advance God’s design for life, family, and liberty through California’s Church, Capitol, and Culture. By advocating for policies that reinforce the sanctity of life, the strength of traditional marriages, and the essential freedoms of religion, CFC is dedicated to preserving California’s moral and social foundation.
Coaches needed, get discount on own child’s registration fee
Registration deadline: Aug. 15
By City of Antioch Recreation Department
Experience the speed, skill, agility and action of the gridiron without the contact associated with tackle football. Kids in grades 3-8 play NFL Flag Football!
The goal of this program is to develop the skill of our young athletes while also exposing them to sportsmanship, teamwork and healthy lifestyles that so important to local youth; all while having fun. Each child receives their own NFL Flag Football Jersey and flag belt.
No experience necessary. Mandatory evaluations will be held on August 23. Practice begins September 15.
Registration fees are $135R/$149NR and the deadline to register is August 15.
Volunteer coaches receive a 50% discount from their child’s registration fee. If interested in coaching, please contact staff at (925) 776-3050 or sports@antiochca.gov.
UPDATE: 8-10 YEARS Flag Football—Rookies
This fun-filled flag football class is designed for kids who want to learn the fundamentals of football in a safe and non-contact environment, preparing participants for our NFL Flag Football league that runs in the fall. Participants will develop essential skills such as passing, catching, running, and defensive techniques through engaging drills, teamwork-focused activities, and mini-games.
This fun-filled flag football class is designed for kids who want to build on the fundamentals of football in a safe and non-contact environment, preparing participants for our NFL Flag Football league that runs in the fall. Participants will enhance their understanding of the game while developing advanced techniques in passing, receiving, route running, defensive coverage, and teamwork.
This dynamic flag football class is tailored for young athletes who want to sharpen their skills and deepen their understanding of the game in a competitive yet non-contact setting, preparing participants for our NFL Flag Football league that runs in the fall. Participants will focus on advanced techniques, team strategies, and game scenarios while fostering teamwork and leadership skills.
By Greg Burt, Vice President of the California Family Council
When Kaiser Permanente announced its decision to pause all “gender-affirming” surgeries on minors last week, I held my breath, hoping that California’s media might finally take the opportunity to tell the public what a teen trans surgery is. I hoped they’d finally give voice to the victims, detransitioners like Chloe Cole, Layla Jane, and Luka Hein, whose lives have been permanently scarred by the very procedures Kaiser is now putting on hold.
Only CBS Bay Area’s Andrea Nakano took the courageous and journalistically responsible step of showing both sides of the debate. At a protest in front of a San Francisco Kaiser hospital, she aired the story of Layla Jane, who had her healthy breasts removed at age 13, at that very same Kaiser facility.
Layla stood feet away from a transgender Kaiser nurse protesting the pause. Nakano gave both of them a voice. That’s journalism. That’s truth-seeking. Sadly, it was the exception, not the rule.
The rest of California’s media? Silence and censorship.
Of the 18 stories reviewed:
Only four mentioned that “gender-affirming surgery” often means double mastectomies on teenage girls.
None investigated how many minors had these surgeries, despite Kaiser vaguely calling them “rare.”
Only one mentioned Chloe Cole’s malpractice lawsuit against Kaiser, even though Chloe is arguably the most well-known detransitioner in the nation, and Kaiser is the defendant. No one mentioned Layla Jane’s lawsuit against Kaiser.
Not a single story explored why 20+ U.S. states have now banned these surgeries for minors, or why Sweden, the UK, and Finland have reversed course and are now severely restricting them for youth.
Instead, the overwhelming narrative was this:
Kaiser is under political pressure from the Trump administration. Transgender youth are being denied “life-saving care.” And anyone who disagrees is probably motivated by religious bigotry or animus. Some of that tone can be heard in an interview by CBS News reporterSteve Large out of Sacramento. I know because I was his on-camera interview.
I gave Steve detailed information about Chloe Cole and Layla Jane. I shared video footage of their Capitol testimony. I explained how Chloe’s lawsuit accused Kaiser of pressuring her parents with false suicide warnings to approve surgery when she was just 15 years old. I laid out our position, not just our Christian beliefs, but our moral and medical objections to giving sterilizing drugs and mutilating surgeries to children struggling with gender confusion.
None of it made the final cut.
Instead, Steve chose to focus on the supposed theological motivations of California Family Council. The fact that we oppose telling kids they’re “born in the wrong body”? That we think cutting off the healthy breasts of 13-year-old girls is a tragedy, not a treatment? That this is a medical scandal, not a political issue?
Ignored.
His story, like so many others, was dominated by activists and so-called experts lamenting the loss of “life-saving gender care.” Not one mention of what those surgeries actually are, why they are controversial, or how many European countries have reversed course out of concern for the growing number of regretful detransitioners.
Why is this happening?
Because many in the media have adopted an ideological commitment to protect “trans identity” at all costs, even if it means silencing those who have been harmed by it.
It is my suspicion many reporter have been convinced that giving a platform to detransitioners like Chloe Cole and Layla Jane causes “emotional harm” to trans identified people. That airing dissent “spreads hate.” So instead of reporting, they suppress. Instead of asking questions, they protect the narrative.
But this isn’t journalism. It’s activism dressed up in a press pass.
Let’s be clear: What’s being hidden from the public is one of the largest medical scandals of our time.
Teenage girls are having their healthy breasts cut off to cope with internal distress. In rarer occasions “lower-genital procedures” are done including: Vaginoplasty: Constructs a neovagina using the penile and scrotal tissue. Orchiectomy: Surgical removal of the testicles, often performed prior to or instead of vaginoplasty. Labiaplasty: Additional procedure to refine the external appearance of the labia.
Minors are being put on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones that sterilize, weaken bone density, and stunt brain development.
And anyone who speaks up, especially those who’ve lived through it and now regret it, is shoved off camera, their stories erased or ignored.
This is not compassion. This is a cover-up.
As a representative of California Family Council, I want to make our stance crystal clear: We will not be silent on this issue. We will continue to amplify the voices the media tries to mute. Voices like Chloe’s and Layla’s. Voices of truth, even when uncomfortable. Especially when uncomfortable.
And we ask journalists across California: Do your job. Ask the hard questions. Investigate both sides. And for heaven’s sake—stop pretending these kids don’t exist just because their stories contradict your worldview.
The public deserves better. And the victims deserve to be heard.
California Family Council works to advance God’s design for life, family, and liberty through California’s Church, Capitol, and Culture. By advocating for policies that reinforce the sanctity of life, the strength of traditional marriages, and the essential freedoms of religion, CFC is dedicated to preserving California’s moral and social foundation.
Start Time: Dusk (approximately between 8:30pm and 8:45pm)
Location: Prewett Family Park Hillside (Located next to the Antioch Water Park)
This year’s final free outdoor movie night will be held Thursday, July 31, 2025, with the showing of Holes (2003) (Rated: PG | Runtime: 118 minutes.
Grab your blankets and lawn chairs, and bring the entire family out to enjoy popcorn, kids’ crafts and a movie. Happening on the Prewett Family Park Hillside, next to the Antioch Water Park, movies will begin just after dusk (approximately 8:30pm-8:45pm depending on sunset).
Did we mention it will also be Food Truck Thursday, brought to you by FoodieCrewSF?! Don’t forget to grab dinner before the movie begins! You won’t want to miss this.
**Free parking, popcorn, refreshments, and kids’ arts & crafts while supplies last.
Last week, in response to new directions at the federal level under the Trump Administration, Kaiser Permanente issued the following statement on “Gender Affirming Care for Patients Under 19”:
Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to providing safe, high-quality, and evidence-based care to all our members, including adolescents. We are proud of the care and coverage we provide for transgender patients. Our work in this area and the inclusive care we provide for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families is recognized in the community.
Since January, there has been significant focus by the federal government on gender-affirming care, specifically for patients under the age of 19. This has included executive orders instructing federal agencies to take actions to curtail access and restrict funding for gender-affirming care, hospital inquiries by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and regulatory changes to coverage and broader federal agency review, including by the Federal Trade Commission. Most recently, the U.S. Department of Justice issued subpoenas to doctors and clinics providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth, as part of ongoing federal investigations.
In response to these federal actions, many health systems and clinicians across the country have paused or discontinued providing gender-affirming care for adolescents.
As the legal and regulatory environment for gender-affirming care continues to evolve, we must carefully consider the significant risks being created for health systems, clinicians, and patients under the age of 19 seeking this care.
After significant deliberation and consultation with internal and external experts including our physicians, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause surgical treatment for patients under the age of 19 in our hospitals and surgical centers. This pause is effective August 29, 2025. All other gender-affirming care treatment remains available. We continue to meet with regulators as well as our clinicians, patients, their families, and the community with the goal of identifying a responsible path forward.
We recognize that this is an extremely challenging and stressful time for our patients seeking care, as well as for our clinicians whose mission is to care for them. We will work closely with each patient to support their care journey.
We will remain a voice and advocate for safe, high-quality, and evidence-based care for transgender patients.
Elissa Harrington, Senior Media Relations and Public Relations Representative for Kaiser Permanente Northern California was asked:
“Were those surgeries offered at Antioch, Walnut Creek and/or Richmond Kaiser hospitals?
Also, why does Kaiser continue to participate in and support the delusion that someone can change their gender with the labeling of the surgeries as “gender-affirming care”?
Why would Kaiser allow its doctors to participate in mutilating children and scaring them for life based on the confusion and mental disorder of gender dysphoria? According to the Mayo Clinic, ‘A diagnosis for gender dysphoria is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)…published by the American Psychiatric Association.’
Furthermore, how can the doctors that performed such surgeries argue they were not violating the Hippocratic Oath, specifically to ‘do no harm’?
Is counseling offered instead to children and adults experiencing such confusion and a mental disorder?”
But Harrington did not respond. Please check back later for any updates to this report.
Former Deer Valley High standout and pro-ball player Kendall Smith will host his 5th Annual free Co-ed basketball camp for youth 7-17 years old on Saturday, August 2, 2025. Athletes and non-athletes welcome!
Participants in the 2022 Kendall Smith Basketball Camp. Photos by Allen D. Payton
We are prepared to have some great resources and services provided for our 13th Annual Stuff The Bus school supply giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. Join us at the Contra Costa Event Park (fairgrounds) on W. 10th Street in Antioch.
Please REGISTER
If you have/know of a great (preferably FREE) resource or have beneficial info that you would love to share with the community!!
The QR code below will also give you access to information including a volunteer sign-up form as well as ways to donate to this event!! Please share
For families looking to register, registration is now open. You will see that information pop up via this link: https://linktr.ee/4evermefoundation
UPDATE: Claryssa Wilson, a dedicated Antioch High School alumna, community leader, and founder of the renowned annual event, is proud to announce the return of the 13th Annual Stuff the Bus School Supply Giveaway, an event that has become a cornerstone of community support and youth empowerment in East Contra Costa County. Since its inception when she was just in the 6th grade, Claryssa has been committed to ensuring that every student, regardless of socioeconomic background, has access to the essential tools needed for academic success.
This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, August 2, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will be held at the Contra Costa County Event Park (Fairgrounds), located at 1201 W. 10th Street in Antioch, CA. Over the past twelve years, this inspiring initiative has provided backpacks filled with school supplies to over 40,000 students across Antioch, Pittsburg, and neighboring communities. It has grown into a collaborative effort with numerous local organizations and sponsors, including the Golden State Warriors, the Antioch Schools Education Foundation, Adonal Foyle’s Kerosene Lamp Foundation, and many others who share a common vision of fostering educational opportunity and community resilience.
“No student should face a new school year without the basic supplies they need to succeed,” said Claryssa Wilson, founder and host of the event. “Our mission is rooted in the belief that every child, regardless of their circumstances, deserves the chance to learn, grow, and excel. By providing these supplies, we’re helping to level the playing field and inspire hope for a brighter future.”
This year’s event is expected to reach and serve thousands of students, many of whom are vulnerable and face significant barriers such as foster care, homelessness, or economic hardship. The event will feature an array of family-friendly activities, vendor booths, and entertainment designed to bring joy and support to families. Children and parents will have the opportunity to enjoy performances by Jordan Orosco, known as The Mathemagician, whose engaging magic and math demonstrations foster a love of learning. The event will also include a Stepz Dance Fitness segment, interactive games, resource tables, and much more to create a festive, supportive atmosphere.
One of the new highlights this year is a full-service Hair Salon, offering FREE haircuts, braiding styles, washes, blow-drys, and silk presses. This service aims to boost confidence and help families prepare for the upcoming school year. Services will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and registration is required.
In addition to the giveaways and entertainment, the event provides a platform for community organizations, local businesses, and educational resources to connect with families, share information, and foster ongoing support. The event’s overarching goal is to create a sense of unity, hope, and empowerment for families, especially those most in need.
All media outlets and press representatives are warmly invited to cover the event. To coordinate interviews with Claryssa Wilson or for additional information, please contact:
The Stuff the Bus School Supply Giveaway is organized by the 4ever Me Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Claryssa Wilson in 2012. Over the past decade, the Foundation has dedicated itself to supporting foster children, unhoused youth, and children facing homelessness, providing vital supplies, mentorship, and community support. To date, the Foundation has served more than 40,000 students and continues to expand its outreach and impact.
All donations, sponsorships, and gifts to the 4ever Me Foundation and the Stuff the Bus School Supply Giveaway are tax-deductible and vital to maintaining and growing this impactful community effort. Contributions can be made through the Foundation’s website or by contacting the organization directly.
Join us this August in making a tangible difference—helping empower students to succeed academically and build a foundation for lifelong achievement. Your support ensures that no child is left behind because of a lack of basic school supplies. Together, we can create a stronger, more resilient community where every student has the tools to thrive.
