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SHERMAN, TEXAS--Austin College’s Hispanic student group Los Amigos will host a community-wide Cinco de Mayo celebration on Saturday, May 4, from 1 to 5 p.m. on the north lawn of Wright Campus Center. In the event of rain, the celebration will move to Sid Richardson Center in Robert T. Mason Athletic/Recreation Complex in. All community members are invited to attend. The event is free.
The celebration will incorporate free authentic Mexican food and entertainment including a DJ, folklorica dancers, and children’s bounce houses. Games and contests will include a jalapeno-eating contest, soccer juggling, and a dance contest.
Los Amigos members will offer a raffle for FC Dallas tickets and autographed Mavericks memorabilia as well as meals at several area restaurants. The event also will include a health fair, blood drive, and fire safety information from the Sherman Fire Department, which will bring one of its fire trucks to campus.
Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, commemorates a Mexican army victory during the Franco-Mexican War during the 1860s. Today, the day is a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.
Senior Ariel Rodriguez of McKinney, Los Amigos president, said the event is designed to bring together the campus and community in celebrating Mexican heritage and pride. Through the Health Fair, the group hopes to present information and preventative advice on medical topics. Sophomore Eddie Contreraz of Frisco, Texas, serves as vice president for the organization, and sophomore Manuela Lopez of Houston, Texas, is the service chair. Sophomore Ruby Saldivar of Houston, Texas, serves as secretary, and other officers are sophomore Estefani Castillo of Houston, Texas, treasurer; junior Samantha Marquez of Houston, Texas, and junior Sahana Subbiah of Dallas, Texas, historians; and junior Mario Ayala of Dallas, Texas, serves as public relations chair.
Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives.
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