Recently, the Sweetwater District and South Bay Community Services partnered to commemorate the life and acts of service of American hero Cesar Chavez. As described by his family, Cesar Chavez was an ordinary man with an extraordinary legacy of great accomplishment and service to humanity.
The Sweetwater District and South Bay Community Services hosted a “Day of Service” on March 31st that included a community re-beautification and graffiti clean-up, cultural celebration, school garden planting at Hilltop Middle School and painting of a new mural at Castle Park Middle School.
“The pride these students have in this mural is inspiring,” said Castle Park Middle principal Gina Galvez-Mallari. “This project has united our students and created a platform for understanding the history behind the mural. To me that is what’s most important.”
Castle Park Middle School hosted the Opening Ceremony which featured an indigenous performance by members of the Danza Mexi’cayotl. Afterwards participants migrated to the east side of the campus where Castle Park Middle students and community volunteers completed the painting of the mural project. The ARTS Organization (A Reason To Survive) assisted Castle Park Middle students in designing a one of a kind mural honoring and celebrating the lives and work of labor and civil rights leaders Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong and Phillip Vera Cruz.
Later in the day, students and community members rallied at Hilltop Middle School where a spring garden planting project broke ground.
“Today would have been my grandfather’s 89th birthday,” said Barbara Ybarra, Executive Director of One San Diego and granddaughter of Cesar Chavez. “He would have been so proud to see the hard work happening in this community.”
