Even 17 years after his death, Cesar Chávez can still draw a crowd. More than 200 people attended a march and rally in Denver on Saturday to honor the late civil-rights leader, who would have been 83 this Wednesday.

"I’m here because I think Cesar Chávez is a hero of this country, and he needs to be recognized for it," said Adrienne Benavidez.

After a morning Mass at St. Joseph’s Church honoring Chávez, people flocked to the streets. Some held signs reading, "Yes to Immigration Reform" or "Stop the Raids."

An advocate of nonviolent protest, Chávez co-founded the United Farm Workers of America and advocated better working conditions.

Poor conditions persist today, critics say, for people such as Ignacio Alvarado, who came to the U.S. from Chile in the 1990s to work as a shepherd.

Often living in small, isolated trailers called "campitos," many shepherds have no running water, bathrooms or electricity and little access to medical care, and they are expected to be on call 24 hours a day, Alvarado said. All this for around $750 a month. It’s a difficult life with sometimes difficult employers, he said.

"With my own eyes, I’ve seen a boss hit a worker," Alvarado said, and he knows another who lost his vision due to an accident while shepherding. Now Alvarado works as a shepherd-outreach coordinator for Colorado Legal Services, an organization offering legal assistance and information to low-income workers.

Cases of wages denied, medical attention refused, friends not allowed to visit and workers’ documents being held by employers all cross Jennifer Lee’s desk as a managing attorney in Colorado Legal Services’ migrant farmworker division, she said.

Lee and Alvarado spoke at the afternoon rally. People sang and chanted in the march, calling for social change.

Passing Chávez’s tradition of advocacy on to the next generation and celebrating his importance drew Raymond Ayon and his daughter to the march.

"His example of humility, courage and faith shows us you put aside your own needs to serve all people," Ayon said.

That was a sentiment shared by many who said the issues and conditions facing immigrants today make Chávez as relevant now as years ago.

"If those conditions still exist, then the spirit of Cesar Chávez still exists," said Daniel Salcido of Denver.

Heather McWilliams: 303-954-1698 or hmcwilliams@denverpost.com

Cesar Chávez Day

All Denver city and county offices, such as recreation centers, city-owned golf courses, human services, county courts, public libraries and motor vehicle offices, will be closed Monday.

No trash or recycling service will be offered, and all DPS schools will be closed.