Hispanic heroes honored
By Michael Burke
RACINE - Friends, co-workers, sisters and brothers were
celebrated as extraordinary Saturday at the city's seventh annual
Outstanding Hispanic Unsung Hero celebration.
Ten people were
honored with medals, and three others received certificates of
appreciation during the banquet held at the Martin Luther King
Community Center.
June Herrera came both as a Racine County
sheriff's deputy and as sister of Georgia Herrera, one of the 10
people honored. Georgia Herrera, a Racine attorney, was honored for
leadership.
Her accomplishments include mentoring and
teaching law. Her family also established a scholarship in their
father's name at Park High School. |
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June Herrera, 37, said Hispanic people do recognize the
awards as important.
"They do, because it acknowledges the
Hispanic community," she said.
Lynn Marino, 24, was there
with her co-worker, Jorge Figueroa, whom she had nominated for an
award.
"Because he's always doing things in the community,"
Marino said about Figueroa, 28, manager at Tri-State Mortgage Co. in
Racine.
Among his other efforts, Figueroa, 28, helped
organize a chapter of Omega Delta Phi, a Latino-based community
service fraternal organization, at the University of
Wisconsin-Parkside.
Another person honored was Josie Garcia,
once a high school dropout and teenage wife and mother - but now a
college graduate and business owner.
Four years ago, Garcia,
38, went from an employee of Newman Manor, an assisted-living
facility, to owner. She also has rental properties, two children and
oversees her mother's home care.
The complete list of people
honored as unsung heroes also includes: * Michael Pitsch, founder of
Tech Corps Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization that works to place
computer technology into children's hands. Tech Corps reportedly has
provided more than 400 computers for Racine's low-income families.
It has also provided instruction to the Spanish-speaking
community.
* Chela Bodi, a secretary for the Racine Police
Department's Street Crimes Unit.
* Former Racine mayor Jim
Smith, for supporting the Hispanic community in the past.
*
Roberto Garza, in the Community category. A written description of
his selection states that "he advocates that with inclusion comes
responsibility and with responsibility
comes
accountability."
* Marie Black, a medal in
leadership. Black, born in Mexico, owner of the Hispanic Chronicle
and Camera World, and active with several
community
organizations.
* Olga Garcia, in the Youth
category. Garcia was a four-year honor student at Case High School,
active in extracurricular activities, a DARE mentor, and child care
center volunteer.
* Racine Police Department Officer Jorge
Garcia, who used his knowledge of Spanish to improve relationships
in the community. He also is active in community service.
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