Be the Change: DANNY MUÑOZ

“There’s a little monkey,” says Danny Muñoz, looking into the eager little faces at Gerber Elementary School. “He’s a dreamer. He wants to be a DJ, but he is very nervous because he comes from a small town. He doesn’t think he can do it, but then…”

 A few minutes later, Danny has recruited several of those little faces, beaming with excitement, to the stage to sing and dance, and nothing could make Danny happier.

An enduring hometown connection

Every year for Red Ribbon Week, Danny heads north from Orange County to Gerber, his small hometown in the North State, to attend his former elementary school and present his TOMTOD program – “turn on music, turn off drugs.” In 15 action-packed minutes, Danny conveys to Gerber Elementary School students messages of choosing a drug-free lifestyle, embracing the beauty and power of music, pursuing dreams and understanding self-worth.

“If they take anything away from the program, I want them to know that they matter. You exist and you are very, very important,” Danny says. He knows he has succeeded when teachers come up to him and exclaim, “You know that student who came up onstage today? That child usually doesn’t ever talk or participate!”

Reigniting a family-friendly fiesta

Danny grew up in Gerber and maintains a deep connection to the community, where his parents, siblings and nieces and nephews still live. “The day you forget where you come from, that’s the day you forget yourself,” he says. Although his career as an independent artist requires living in a big city, Danny visits what he still considers his true home multiple times a year to give back to the community that raised him.

In addition to TOMTOD, Danny pours his heart and soul into the annual Gerber Children’s Christmas Fiesta. With a different theme each year – from Grinchmas, to Disney’s Frozen, to this year’s edition honoring the special Mexican tradition of Las Posadas – the Fiesta offers free family fun and a chance to meet Santa.

Danny undertook coordination of the event in 2012, when he heard the Gerber Children’s Christmas Party that had meant so much to him as a child had been canceled. Rallying friends and family to provide a venue, donate toys and decorations and volunteer as event staff, Danny pulled together a last-minute replacement party so that children who could not afford gifts or a visit with Santa at the mall could freely enjoy those experiences.

An hour into the event, they ran out of their 200 gift bags and had to close early. But as he watched children arriving barefoot to receive the gift bags, Danny knew that he would be back every year – “until I’m not around, or until there is no need. And there will always be a need; I was one of those kids in need.”

Since then, Danny has invested significant amounts of time, planning and personal resources throughout the year to make the Fiesta a family tradition to remember. Renamed to honor the Hispanic heritage of most of the committee members, the Fiesta welcomes every child who attends.

Giving back today with kindness

The driving force for all of Danny’s efforts in his North State community is helping kids feel known, seen and valued. He remembers growing up intimidated by bullies who teased him for his accent and who shamed him for coming from such a small town. “I remember that kid,” says Danny Muñoz, “that kid who was afraid, that kid who was insecure. That kid who, deep down, wanted to devour the world, but he was too afraid. And I know that I’m not the only one who went through that.”

“I grew up trying to give back to my community,” Danny says. “It was a norm instilled by my family. And as I got older, I started realizing there’s a lot of work to be done and I could be that change. I know it sounds very cliché, but yes, we are the change that we want to see in the world.” And Danny doesn’t believe in waiting to make it big to start making a big difference. “I hear people say, when I make it big, I’ll do this; when I win the lottery, I’ll do that. No, we have a lot to give. Not everything is money. Kindness is free and I think more than anything we can all give that.”

Get involved

If you, like Danny, don’t want to wait to make a difference, you can help by volunteering at the Christmas Fiesta, donating toys or business services to the event or by attending Al Son de Mariachi, Fiesta’s biggest fundraiser, May 1, 2026, at Rodgers Theater in Corning.

Starring a full mariachi orchestra, folklorico dancing and Danny’s own vocal prowess, the concert not only raises funds for the Christmas Fiesta, but offers an impressive and enriching cultural experience.

Before the evening performance, Danny offers local schools an opportunity to attend a shortened matinee performance. “I love giving back to my community,” Danny says. “I’m proud of my heritage, but I’m also proud of what our committee does and that we do it for free for our community. That’s the biggest reward.”

Join Danny’s efforts by going to dannymunoz.com to learn more, donate or volunteer.