Friday, March 31, 2000 at 1 p.m. at Belmont High
As his birthday nears, school kids learn about Cesar Chavez as speakers fan out across greater L.A. area
As California lawmakers debate making Cesar Chavez’s March 31 birthday a paid state holiday, men and women who were his family, friends and followers are fanning out this week to school assemblies across the Los Angeles area talking to youngsters about carrying on Chavez legacy. They will also urge students to join the 2nd Annual Cesar Chavez Walk-a-Thon on April 29 in East L.A.
Many celebrities and Chavez family members will gather to detail events honoring the legendary farm labor leader before one of the assemblies–at 1 p.m. Friday at Belmont High School near downtown L.A. Among them will be actors Ed Begley Jr.(Seventh Heaven, St. Elsewhere), and Robert Beltran (Star Track Voyager, Luminarias); Chavez’s son-in-law and successor as United Farm Workers president, Arturo Rodriguez, and several of the UFW founder’s grandchildren; and area elected officials and community leaders, including L.A. School Board member David Tokofsky, Assembly Speaker Antonio R. Villaraigosa, U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles), State Senator Richard Alarcon (D-Van Nuys), LA City Councilmember Nick Pacheco and state Sen. Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles), who authored SB 984, the Chavez holiday bill that passed the state Senate and is now being considered in the Assembly.
Belmont High was chosen because it set the record last year by sending 220 students to the first annual walk promoting Chavez’s legacy among young people.
This year, a specially-designed curriculum and video with accompanying activity guide has been distributed to hundreds of classrooms in the months before the event. Thousands of students and teachers are expected at the April 29 walk.
Among two dozen schools hosting speakers between March 23 and April 14 are San Fernando High School, Inglewood High School, Saddleback High School in Santa Ana, Bravo High School in Los Angeles, Sylmar High School, Bell Gardens High School, Mark Keppel High School in Alahambra, Roosevelt High School East Los Angeles–as well as 14 middle and elementary schools.
Who: Celebrities, political and community leaders, Chavez family members and thousands of students.
What: Speaking at school assemblies this week on the legacy of Cesar Chavez as his March 31 birthday approaches.
When: Press availability at 1 p.m., Friday, March 31, 2000; assembly immediately follows.
Where: Belmont High School auditorium, 1575 W. Second St., between 3rd and Loma, in L.A.
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