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WIM Fox Valley to welcome Mary Camacho May 5

WIM Fox Valley will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Mary Camacho, a member of one of the first Mexican families to arrive in Elgin.

The meeting will be Thursday, May 5, at the Elgin Country Club, 2575 Weld Road, Elgin. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m., with the luncheon and program at noon. Meetings adjourn promptly at 1:30 p.m.

Cost is $22 for members or $25 for nonmembers. Area women business owners and managers are welcome to attend this month's presentation. Guests are invited to attend. Reservations must be made for attendance online no later than noon Tuesday, May 3, at www.wimfoxvalley.org.

This month's meeting sponsor is WIM member Michelle Charron, branch manager of First American Bank in South Elgin.

Led by moderator and WIM member Nancy Guthrie, president of Business Matters in Elgin, Camacho will discuss her family's history in Elgin, a community she has worked and volunteered since the age of 10.

Camacho will recall many of the significant events in her life when her mother and father, Jack and Rita Camacho, came to Elgin, where her father formed the first Elgin Mexican band, which expanded into an orchestra and the first folkloric dance group.

As a child she became active in the Club Fiesta and the Club Guadalupano, formed by the first Hispanic families in Elgin. In addition to volunteering, the Camacho family owned the first Elgin Mexican restaurant and grocery store.

She was educated at St. Joseph's Elementary School, St. Edward High School and Elgin Community College in Elgin.

Camacho currently is a volunteer, project docent and spokeswoman at Gail Borden Public Library; a member of the ECC youth Leadership Academy Student Candidate Interview Team; Elgin Political Action Team; Gifford Park housewalk docent; and the Citizens for Council Manager Form of Government.

She has won numerous awards, including Elgin Fire Department Fire Chief's Citizen's Award, Elgin YWCA Leader Luncheon Myrtle S. Gerberding Public Service Award, Elgin Community College Foundation Board Lasting Impact Award, Centro de Informacion y Progreso Community Service Award, and the Altrusa Woman of the Year Award.

"Mary is currently writing the history of the Spanish-speaking people of Elgin covering the years from 1910 to 1949," said Ramona 'Monie' Burns, this year's 2015-16 WIM Fox Valley president. "We look forward to hearing about Mary's vast experiences of being part of the Elgin Hispanic community."

Burns is owner of MoMo's Concierge Services in Elgin, which provides harmony, security and freedom at home and work through a variety of personal and professional services.

WIM Fox Valley was founded in 1984. Members are comprised of business professionals and entrepreneurs in a wide range of categories. Area women are invited to join.

For more information, visit www.wimfoxvalley.org.

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