Latino Club holds fundraiser in SUB

The Latino Club has spent semesters fundraising for travel expenses, club events, etc. This year, they’re giving back in a major way.

On Thursday, club members spent their hours in the Student Union Building, sombreros and all, selling conchas (a Mexican pastry), hot chocolate, and requesting donations.

All of the money raised will be donated to young children attending the Don Pedro de Alvarado Spanish School in Antigua, Guatemala.

Unfortunately, turnout for the event was relatively slow, despite a few large donations. However, club president, Corinne Ready, was not discouraged. The club will match whatever money was raised and send that money to Don Pedro de Alvarado.

“Even if we send them, like, a hundred dollars, that’s a lot of money in Guatemala,” said Ready.

In addition to the fundraiser, the club also got in the Halloween spirit by offering a free screening of Spanish horror film, El Orfanato the same night, along with free popcorn and lemonade.

“It’s very creepy,” said Nic Cecil, secretary/treasurer, of the movie.

“We showed it a year or two ago,” said Ready, “and people were screaming.”

This is not the first time the club has gone international. Students have been invited to travel to Guatemala  every summer for a Spanish immersion course. The trip is not offered by the Latino club, but by its advisor, NIC Spanish instructor, Scott Estes.

“We all went there for two weeks last May,” said Cecil.

There will be another trip hosted next May.

As for Thursday’s local event, it will surely make a difference in the lives of Guatemalan school children.

“Sometimes we’ll do it just for fundraising for the club funds, but this year we decided to give back to the kids,” said Ready.