Invocation: Gretchen Oppriecht, a poem in Spanish by Rosalia de Castro

addressing the beauty and complexity of life ending with how the times, filled with tears and laughter, touch our soul.

 

Chaska Rotary President opened our special Cinco de Mayo celebration with a bi-lingual welcome in the festively decorated Chaska Event Center.  Club member Erika Kennedy led the organizing and preparations for this meeting.  She thanked the many people who have helped strengthen the Hispanic community in Carver and Scott counties.  Those receiving individual recognition from Erika included Martha Brannon, His House; Gary Cooper, Cooper’s Market; Julie Janke, Chaska Police; Sana Cheema, Motel 8; and Caitlin Huiras, Carver County Public Health.  

John Pacheco, the president of the Latino Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota spoke to a room full of Rotarians, Chaska and Carver County leaders, and members of the Chamber and local Latino business owners.  John shared his predictions about the area’s future base of Hispanic employees and customers, and advised businesses to account for the shifts in demographics over the next 10 – 20 years.

Favio Tenoria, the Chamber’s Executive Director, spoke via Zoom from Central America, and we marveled at the clarity of the technology that is bringing us closer together than we could have imagined 10 years ago.  He showed us portions of the Chamber’s website to explain how it supports the success of small businesses:

The website includes a business directory so that members can support each other’s enterprises.  It also includes an Event calendar that includes educational programs for its members.  

 

For more information about the Latino Chamber:

Website:  www.latinochambermn.com 
email: info@latinochambermn.com
phone:  612-370-9137
Address:  81 South 9th St., Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55407