EXCITED TO BE BACK WITH THE DEL RIO HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Let me start off by stating that I am happy and excited to return as a member of the Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors as Secretary!   As I write this short Article for this issue of our Newsletter, I am thankful to be part of this dedicated board; all volunteers who dedicate their time and effort because they truly believe in the mission, which is to promote the interest of small businesses, especially minority and women owned enterprises.  
So, as I reminisce about all the events and activities of our past 16 years of existence, I am amazed at all that has been accomplished by a small group of dedicated volunteers and loyal members.  In the early days of our existence, we relied on our parent organization, the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) to provide support and encouragement with their workshops conducted for small businesses in our community.  Today we can count on many local organizations, such as the Whitehead Museum, the International Good Neighbor Council and La Casa De La Cultura for support.  However, one of our major allies is El Consulado de Mexico with the Honorable Consul General Paloma Villasenor at the helm. 
Although we participate in many local events and activities, our focus is directed at supporting and assisting small businesses, so when we were asked to help out with a Dia De Los Muertos event at Plaza Del Sol Mall, we were there!  Not only did we learn of the importance of celebrating this Mexican tradition honoring our departed loved ones, we also became aware of the importance of educating our youth about our culture and traditions by including them in the program.  It was amazing to see their joy and enthusiasm as they performed traditional Mexican dances incorporating themes from el  Dia de Los Muertos. 
We were also impressed with their creativity in creating and modeling amazing Catrina costumes. This tradition has now become very popular in many Southwestern states.  We now realize that this Mexican tradition is taking on a new meaning of not only celebrating our culture and traditions, but also capitalizing on the opportunity to assist the business community.  This tradition has now become very popular in many Southwestern states.  In case you missed this year’s celebration, you also missed viewing a beautiful Exhibit of the Monarch butterflies.  Save the date, there’s always next year!

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