| Save the Date! El
Centro Announces Annual Gala in
September |
|
El Centro de la Raza is pleased
to announce September 27, 2008 as the date for our
annual banquet and auction.
We invite you to celebrate
with us at the Seattle Design Center in "A Tribute to Las Américas: Uniting Cultures Across
Borders."
For information
about sponsorship and table captain opportunities,
please contact Kayla, Events Coordinator, at (206)
957-4649 or events@elcentrodelaraza.org.
Please keep this special date on your calendar
and join us in support of our communities, our children
and our cultures.
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Estimad@ Amig@,
Bienvenid@
to the new El Centro de la Raza
eNewsletter! We're so pleased to have this new
format to bring you organizational news, events and
urgent updates. Please do not hesitate to contact
us with any comments or suggestions.
Si preferiría recibir este
eBoletín en español, por favor mande un correo
electrónico a
donor@elcentrodelaraza.org.
|
 |
3rd Annual
Cinco de Mayo Celebration - A Community Effort!
|
 Join
El Centro de la Raza and the Jefferson Community Center
to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, May 3, 2008 at
the Jefferson Community Center on Beacon Hill!
Get
involved! Share your talents,
resources and heritage with your neighbors. Contact
Kayla at events@elcentrodelaraza.org or (206)
957-4649 about the opportunities listed
below. "Girl with Peppers" by
Consuelo Soto Murphy
Latin@
Fashion Show -
Show off
your new pair of boots, a favorite sombrero or your Frida
Kahlo costume at El Centro's multicultural,
intergenerational fashion show!
We're
looking for community members of all ages, races and
styles for a fashion parade. The deadline to apply
is March 31, 2008.
Raffle Prize
Donations -
Are your
frequent flier miles about to expire? Do you have a free
week at your timeshare? Participate in our upcoming
Cinco de Mayo raffle by donating one of our coveted
prizes. Consider national or international airfare,
vacation time at a condo or luxury services at spas and
resorts as possible prizes. Your donation is
tax-deductible. Can't donate
a prize? Stay tuned
for more information about ticket sales. Every ticket
you buy or sell contributes to a better future for your
community.
Community Talent Showcase -
Dance. Rap. Read a poem. Play a
song. Sing. Star on El Centro's stage! You don't have to
be a professional, but simply have an act to share with
your neighbors. Dancers are especially needed
for a Latino dance showcase. Salsa, duranguense, flamenco, tango, cumbia,
merengue--any and all styles of dance
welcome!
Vendor Booths Still Available
-
A great opportunity to sell your crafts
and advertise your business! El Centro de la Raza
expects over 400 guests from the Beacon Hill and South
Seattle community. For a minimal fee, you'll get a table
where you can publicize your services or sell your
wares. Join us!
|
|
Raúl Salinas: A Great Talent
and Friend of El Centro Passes
|
Raúl
Salinas, the dean of Chicano Poets and a strong social
justice advocate for racial minorities and indigenous
struggles, with a strong connection to El Centro de la
Raza and the Northwest, passed away Wednesday morning in
his native Austin, TX.
Salinas
participated in the occupation of El Centro de la
Raza. His remarkable poetry began an
extraordinary legacy that lives today in the arena of
arts and literature programs at El
Centro. To read the
full press release, please visit the El Centro website.
|
|
Dalai Lama Plants Seeds of
Compassion in
Seattle
|
Last
October, many of you joined El Centro de la Raza in
asking a question vital to our future: "What Kind of
World Will We Leave Our Children?"
Now, El
Centro de la Raza is proud to stand beside His Holiness
the Dalai Lama for an event designed to ask that
question and nurture our communities to work for an
answer. From April 11-15, Seattle's
children, youth, parents, educators, businesses and
community leaders will join with the Dalai Lama and
other distinguished guests for "an unprecedented
gathering." Please visit the Seeds of
Compassion website for more
information.
Get involved in the Dalai Lama's
visit to Seattle through El Centro:
- For
a free ticket
to see the Dalai Lama speak on Saturday, April 12 at
1:30 p.m., please e-mail your full name to
donor@elcentrodelaraza.org
before Friday,
February 29. Location to be
announced.
- Join El
Centro's all-ages Peace Choir in preparation for the
Dalai Lama's visit. All are welcome
to practice every Thursday from 6-7 p.m. in La Cocina
Popular of El Centro de la Raza.
- Wear your
culture's traditional dress to a Culture Walk on
Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m., location to be
announced.
|
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GoodShop for El Centro de la
Raza
|
What do
iTunes, Target, eBay and Home Depot have in
common? They will all financially
support El Centro de la Raza this year--if you take the
initiative! The same people who
developed GoodSearch now introduce GoodShop.
GoodSearch will still donate a penny every time
you search online with El Centro as your designated
non-profit. Now, simply by making
your regular purchases online through GoodShop, associated businesses
contribute 1 to 37.5% of the sale to your chosen
organization. Make it part
of your shopping habit to visit www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx
before you buy. Select El Centro de
la Raza as your charity of choice and spend with
confidence. A portion of your
purchases will directly support El Centro's
comprehensive services for all people.
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New
Family Literacy Project at El Centro
|
El Centro de la Raza and Seattle
Public Libraries are happy to announce a new
project for the José Martí Child Development Center that
will help continue our goals of child and family
education and literacy.
After a kick-off family meeting
on January 31, children started taking four books home
each week, all written in their native
language. Pre-school teachers and
librarians help select the appropriate reading level to
encourage parents and children to spend time reading
together. Funding for
this program was generously provided by Thrive by Five,
a part of the Washington Early Learning Fund and Seattle
Public Libraries.
|
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Seattle
Green Festival Approaches
|
El Centro de
la Raza is proud to participate on the Seattle Green
Festival Steering Committee.
Representatives of El Centro have called for
multi-racial involvement at all levels of event planning
and helped to invite several speakers, including Bruce
Johansen and Billy Frank, Jr. Look
for El Centro's table at the festival!
For more information, please visit the Seattle
Green Festival website.
|
|
MLK Day March Draws Record
Crowds |
Over 3,500 people attended the
January 21 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration at
Franklin High School. The Master of
Ceremonies was Seattle City Councilman Larry Gossett,
and El Centro Founder/Exec. Dir. Roberto Maestas was
featured as a keynote speaker.
The rally
focused on this year's theme, "End Racism, Poverty &
War", with Maestas speaking on the historic 1968 student
sit-in and lockdown at Franklin High School. Summing up
the day's events was a long-time volunteer: "Let's all
work together to form MLK, Jr.'s 'Beloved
Community.'" |
|
Super Refund Saturday for
Community at El Centro de la
Raza
|
Together
with Key Bank and United Way of King County, El Centro
de la Raza hosted a free tax preparation event on
February 2. Our sincere gracias
go to each of the dedicated individuals who made
this event possible. United Way
continues to provide free, multilingual tax services at
locations throughout King County until April
15. To find a location near your
home, please call 2-1-1 or 1-877-211-9274.
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Respetuosamente,
Roberto Maestas
Founder / Exec. Dir.
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