Alpine Lakes Día del Niño celebration honors children, culture and community

LEAVENWORTH — Approximately 500 people gathered at Alpine Lakes Elementary for Día del Niño on April 29, a cultural tradition celebrating children and the joy of childhood.

The community event invited students and their families from throughout the school district to take part in an evening of activities, entertainment and food.

“It's one of the few events where we have all of our communities represented in one event,” said Alpine Lake Elementary Principal Kenny Renner-Singer.

Día del Niño originated in Mexico, but is widely celebrated throughout Latin America. The local event was organized by the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) of Cascade School District’s Migrant Program, which works together to advocate for their students’ needs for success. The annual Día del Niño serves as an opportunity to not only celebrate the families’ culture and traditions, but to do so with the broader community.

“It's a lot of work to put the event together, but once you see the community come together, it's just so rewarding and fulfilling,” said Migrant PAC Coordinator Flor Murguia-West.

According to Murguia-West, about 1,000 tacos, and 500 pupusas, were served over the course of the evening in addition to a myriad of additional treats and snacks. Entertainment included Mariachi Huenachi and SanZár Dance Company.

Kids had the opportunity to explore a patrol boat from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, as well as a fire truck from Chelan County Fire District #3. Additional partners brought activities and games, including the Wenatchee River Institute, NCW Libraries, Upper Valley Learning Coalition, and students from Club Estamos Unidos and the Cascade High School Spanish Class. The CHS soccer team joined the event to lead a cascarita, or a pick-up game of soccer.

According to Murguia-West, the event was able to broaden its impact with help from the Peshastin-Dryden and Alpine Lakes Parent-Teacher Organization. The event’s sponsors included Crunch Pak, Cashmere Heating & Cooling, The Abilities Team, and Sandoval Imports.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media