A monument to Cesar Chavez in downtown Riverside should be up in time for what would have been his 85th birthday.

The Riverside Latino Network monument planning committee has made significant progress with plans for the statue, which should be standing by March 31.

Chavez is known for leading organizing efforts on behalf of farm laborers, demanding better working conditions and wages and for promoting universal human rights.

The memorial was designed by Ignacio Gomez, who created another Chavez memorial in San Fernando. It is currently at a mold maker, which is one of the many steps in creating the finished piece. Latino Network Vice President Ofelia Valdez-Yeager said that the monument is designed as a smaller figure, enlarged and made into larger figures. It then goes to a mold maker and is bronzed and perfected before it is erected.

A groundbreaking for the statue is planned for Monday, Nov. 19, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Riverside Mayor Ronald Loveridge is set to speak at the event, as is United Farm Workers Association President Arturo Rodriguez. The event will feature live entertainment, including music and children’s dance performances.

Valdez-Yeager said that the monument is needed in downtown Riverside.

“The memorial stands for recognizing those who came before us, and reminds us of the importance of helping others,” she said. “Chavez helped others, not just farm workers. He stands as an inspiration for all people so they can reach to be all they can be.”

Valdez-Yeager also said that it is important for the growing Latino community in Riverside to see Chavez standing alongside other downtown monuments of Martin Luther King Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, Korean independence activist Ahn Chang-Ho, Medal of Honor recipient Ysmael Villegas, and most recently, citrus pioneer and activist Eliza Tibbets.

“Chavez is an individual that should stand there,” she said. “It is important for Riverside’s young people to see him there.”

Latino Network has done extensive fundraising, including a comedy show and a golf tournament in Corona on Nov. 2. An additional comedy show fundraiser on Dec. 8 will be at Riverside City College.

Prior to the golf tournament, the group had raised $300,000 of the estimated $350,000 cost of the monument. Nearly half of this was from businesses and organizations and individuals donating $1,000 or more to become honorary members of the “Si Se Puede” club. There have been 78 such contributors so far.

For information on contributions, visit http://www.riversidelatinonetwork.org/CESARCHAVEZFUNDRAISING.html