Photo/Kalvin Valdillez
by Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
On Friday May 6, 2016 the City of Marysville and the Marysville School District (MSD) held it’s annual Cinco de Mayo celebration honoring the culture of Marysville’s Latino community. Many Marysville and Tulalip families arrived early and patiently waited for the doors of Totem Middle School to open.
“This is our tenth year doing this event,” said Susan Stachowiak, volunteer and Tulalip resident, “And because this is our tenth year, we’ve had a lot of support from the community, a lot of donations and volunteers. It’s great seeing everyone come together for an event like this.”
The evening began with a welcome statement from MSD Superintendent, Dr. Becky Berg and the Director of the Marysville YMCA, JJ Frank. Families then lined up for delicious authentic Mexican cuisine prepared by The School House Café students from the MSD Food Service program, which included chicken or beef enchiladas, rice, beans, and tortilla chips.
The ladies of Herencias Mexicanas, wearing beautiful traditional dresses, performed traditional dances. After families finished enjoying their meals, there were many activities to take part in, including soccer, piñatas, dancing, and of course a performance by Jose Iniguez.
“We are very lucky to have Jose Iniguez perform tonight. As you may know, [Jose Iniguez] is a huge name in the Latino Community. Iniguez is an Opera & Bolero Tenor who is most recognizable for his Opera performances around the greater Seattle area,” explained Stachowiak. “He plays sold out shows in Seattle and is paid well for his talent, and he is doing our event free of charge for the community.”
When asked about the event, community leader, Wendy Messarina Volosin stated, “Overall, I think this years turnout was remarkable, and we are happy to have Jose and the band perform, but I think the best part was seeing the kids having so much fun!”
The Marysville Police and Fire Department are in attendance every year and were interacting with the youth and giving tours of their police cars and fire trucks. “It’s important for the families to socialize with the police and fire departments in a relaxed environment, because most people are used to seeing them exclusively in emergency situations,” Wendy stated.
Marjorie Serge, of the Marysville School District, headed the event. Wendy believes the evening was such a huge success because of Marjorie’s research, “Marjorie has a good vibe and a great heart, and when she is looking for volunteers everybody jumps at the opportunity.”
Wendy, who is in charge of the entertainment, encourages all cultures to take a part in next year’s festivities, and if you are interested in performing please contact her a few months in advance.