Local events this month will honor Cesar Chavez’s legacy
SAN LUIS, Ariz. – The legacy of late farm labor leader Cesar Chavez will be celebrated in several public events taking place here this month.
The monthlong celebration has been planned by Somos, a local group dedicated to preserving the memory of the founder of the United Farm Workers union, with the help of Harvest Preparatory Academy and San Luis City Hall.
On March 9, organizations and individuals who serve farm workers in the Yuma area will be honored in an awards event at 7 p.m at Salon Ocasiones, 780 N. C St. in San Luis. The event is open to the public.
Then on March 25, a march in honor of Chavez will take place beginning at 9 a.m., proceeding south along 10th Avenue to Urtuzuastegui Street.
At noon that day, the city and the San Luis Soccer Association will host Gol por la Vida, a soccer tournament, at Joe Orduno Park as part of the Chavez celebration. The tournament is a fundraiser to benefit the Josefina Yepez Foundation, which provides financial support to cancer patients in Yuma County.
On March 31, the date of Chavez’s birthday, there will be a 10 a.m. mass for Chavez at the former UFW headquarters in San Luis, 741 S. Cesar Chavez St.
Taking place at that location at the same time will be an art exhibit featuring the work of artists from the regions, as well as several music and dance performances, among them performances by students from a Mexican university, Universidad Autónoma de University de Baja California.
That day’s festivities will include a visit to the home where Chavez passed away on April 23, 1993. Chavez was in Yuma County to attend legal proceedings involving the UFW at the time of this death.
Chavez was born in 1927 in the Gila Valley.
For more information about the events, call Maria Robles at 928-2853193.