Cicero’s Mexican Independence Day Parade attracts 15,000

September 15, 2014 | Filed under: Community,News | Posted by:
Cicero’s Mexican Independence Day Parade attracts 15,000 5.00/5 (100.00%) 2 votes

Cicero’s Mexican Independence Day Parade attracts 15,000

By Ray Hanania

LarryTownHallPageantThe Mexican Independence Day Parade and a weekend of celebrations that included El-Grito attracted more than 15,000 attendees, parade organizers said.

The events were hosted by the Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee and the Town of Cicero’s Special Events Department, and included a weekend of entertainment, food and family events.

Guests included Town President Larry Dominick, Mexican Consul General Carlos Jimenez Macias and his family, and Daphne Via Senior who was selected as the Parade Queen at a community pageant last week.

Also attending were officials of the Town of Cicero including Clerk Maria Punzo-Arias, Supervisor Joe Virruso, Collector Fran Reitz, Assessor Emilio Cundari, and trustees Dennis Raleigh, Larry Banks, Victor Garcia and Lorraine Walsh.

Committee spokesperson Maru Ayala said, “We awarded Mario Contreras, one of the best horsemen in the United States, a recognition from the Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee of his great achievements.”

The Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee members also include Gerardo Solis, Araceli Ramirez, Josephina Vega, and former State Rep. and Cicero community liaison Frank Aguilar.

“We are proud to celebrate the heritage of the Mexican American community,” said Town President Larry Dominick. “This is one of my favorite festivals of the year.”

The festival grand finale included fireworks and a confetti parade. Entertainment was provided by the Mariachi Group Los Viejos.

Assessor Emilio Cundari said this was one of the largest turnouts for a Mexican Independence Day celebration he has seen, and Trustee Victor Garcia said the weekend was a spectacular celebration of Mexican Culture.

The Mexican Independence Day weekend included the Morton High School District 201 Marching Band, which performed at El Grito, and School pom pons who participated in the parade.

District 201 Board President Jeffry Pesek said, “Morton High school is proud to participate in the parade. Our students are actively engaged in the community and are our future leaders. I am very proud of their participation and their great performance.”

State Rep. Lisa Hernandez praised the Town of Cicero and President Dominick for organizing the weekend event.
“It was one of the finest salutes to Mexican American heritage,” said Hernandez who sponsored a float in the parade. “The turnout was just fantastic.”

(Photos courtesy Gerardo Lopez and The Town of Cicero.)

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Ray Hanania

Blogger, Columnist at Illinois News Network Online
Ray Hanania is senior blogger for the Illinois News Network online news site. He is an award winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist who covered the beat from 1976 through 1992 (From Mayor Daley to Mayor Daley).

In 1976, he was hired by the Chicago community newspaper The Southtown Economist (Daily Southtown) and in 1985 was hired by the Chicago Sun-Times and covered Chicago City Hall for both. In 1993, he launched the “The Villager” Newspapers which covered 12 Southwest Chicagoland suburban regions. He hosted a live weekend Radio Show on WLS AM radio from 1980 through 1991, and also on WBBM FM, WLUP FM and shows on WSBC AM in Chicago and WNZK AM in Detroit.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media;In 2009, he received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. Hanania has also received two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild, and in 1990 was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

Hanania’s writings have been published in newspapers around the world. He currently is syndicated through Creators Syndicate and his column is feature every Sunday in the Saudi Gazette in Saudi Arabia. He has written for the Jerusalem Post, YNetNews.com, Newsday in New York, the Orlando Sentinel, the Houston Chronicle, The Daily Star, the News of the World, the Daily Yomimuri in Tokyo, Chicago Magazine, the Arlington Heights Daily Herald, and Aramco Magazine. His Chicagoland political columns are published in the Southwest News-Herald and Des Plaines Valley News on several Chicagoland blogs including the OrlandParker.com and SuburbanChicagoland.com.

Hanania is the President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group media and public affairs consulting which has clients in Illinois, Florida, Michigan and Washington D.C.

His personal website is www.TheMediaOasis.com. Email him at: [email protected].

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