Aurora’s Fiestas Patrias organizers share scholarship donations

The second annual Fiestas Patrias celebration in Aurora got the go-ahead last fall without guaranteeing a certain amount of festival proceeds would go to scholarships, as one alderman requested.

So on Tuesday, Rene Cruz, past president of the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which operated the festival, reported back to the city council about the fest and the scholarship money it raised.

The three-day celebration of Mexican independence, held Sept. 16 to 18 in the North River Street parking lot, generated $128,275, but cost $96,457 to run. Of the $31,818 remaining after expenses, $5,000 was given to four Aurora area organizations to support scholarships for college students, Cruz said.

“It’s nice to be able to give back to the community in terms of scholarships, and it’s nice to be able to support our infrastructure with some of the money we bring in,” Cruz said.

The Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board, the Aurora Puerto Rican Cultural Council, the Northern Illinois Tejano Cultural Society and the League of United Latin American Citizens were the organizations that received some of the $5,000 to go toward scholarships.

Last fall was the second year in a row the Hispanic chamber sponsored a celebration of Mexican independence. Cruz said he expects the event to continue growing and bringing people to Aurora, especially when it’s held in RiverEdge Park, which is under construction and should be ready for Fiestas Patrias in 2013.

“We expect people to be getting off the train from surrounding communities and coming to Fiestas Patrias,” Cruz said.