A historian with a heart for preserving the stories and milestones of the Hispanic people was given the Humanitarian Award for 2008 at the 28th Hispanic Annual Salute held at the Grand Hyatt Denver.
Virginia Sanchez, past president of the Colorado Society of Hispanic Genealogists, was honored at a dinner ceremony that also paid tribute to outstanding students from throughout the state.
Sanchez earned the honor for her part in producing “Hispanic Pioneers in Colorado and New Mexico,” a photobook tracing the history of Hispanics in the Rocky Mountain region. The 54-year-old wife and mother spearheaded the book’s creation with help from geneological society colleagues, and the result is a compelling chronicle that preserves the cultural heritage and ancestry of local Latinos.
“It’s important to keep our traditions alive so that we can know where we’ve been,” says Sanchez, who still spends her days combing through old photos and other documents in libraries and public archives. “A lot of us realize that we have (longtime) roots, and history, here in Colorado and in northern New Mexico. That connection we have to the past and to the lives and experiences of our ancestors is very powerful.”
Sanchez has been a member of the society’s board of directors since 1998 and today serves as the group’s webmaster, maintaining the society’s website. She is also at work on another book that will go into more detail about her own family’s ancestry.
Dan Sandos, chairman of Hispanic Annual Salute and son of the group’s founder, the late M.L. “Sam” Sandos, told guests that by recognizing Sanchez, a greater number of people will receive “A powerful reminder that we can stay connected in a meaningful way to our past, even as we pave the way for those who will create the future.”
9News anchor Bob Kendrick emceed the well-attended event, during which 10 Hispanic high school students were each given a $2,000 college scholarship. Funds also were presented to an organization training the state’s teachers.
The awards ceremony was preceded by a reception and silent auction, and also included Latin-themed entertainment.
Since 1980, the Hispanic Annual Salute has served as the sole statewide platform to recognize outstanding Latino adult and student volunteers who are helping make their communities better places in which to live.
The student scholarships — which total $300,000 to date — are awarded on both the basis of grades and community involvement.
The 2008 student recipients — Felipe Vieyra, Alyssa Mitson- Salazar, Justin Garoutte, Natalie Castoreno, Alfredo Reyes, Isidro Luna, Kelsey Casias, Ivan Contreras-Vasquez, Cinthia Perez and Adilene Tarin — are active in nearly every sector of their respective communities, from providing services to seniors to initiatives that assist at-risk youngsters. Many also are involved in fundraising for local charities and in efforts that seek to foster a deeper understanding of distinct cultures among residents.
“We are so pleased to recognize this outstanding group of youngsters who have made such an impact in their respective communities,” Sandos said. “In recognizing their service and supporting their efforts to go to college, we trust that they’ll continue to make a similar impact wherever they go.”
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also,
