You are invited to the Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta Pilgrimage on Saturday, April 19 beginning at 9:30 am at the Pomona Valley Pride center (386 S Thomas St.) and ending at Tony Cerda Park (450 W. Grand Ave.).  The march and celebration are organized by local community-based organizations of the Pomona Valley region with the support of the Latino and Latina Roundtable. In addition to an annual purpose of building unity and to use our lives in finding solutions to community problems, this year’s theme is “Defending Human Rights and Immigrant Rights in Our Communities.”  All proceeds and donations from the Pilgrimage march and fiesta are used as scholarships for students and recent graduates who carry on the vision of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta through advocacy and community engagement. To date, every one of the scholarship recipients has graduated from a 4-year university.

This year, the Pilgrimage march begins at Pomona Pride Center (386 S Thomas St) at a 200-year-old tree to honor the elders in our community; proceeds through Pomona neighborhoods; to Tony Cerda Park (450 W. Grand Ave.) where a “young tree” will be planted to honor the unity of elder and young generations in constructing a more equitable society.  The march and ceremony will be led by the indigenous group Danza Grupo Macelloyo, Los Jornaleros del Norte, Union de Ranchos, and the scholarship recipients. The speakers will include Madeline Rios, Angela Sanbrano, Matt Sedillo, Joshua Swodeck, Tony Cerda, Karen May, Poet Laureate Natalie Sierra, Claudia Batista Perales, Jesse Trujillo, Yasmin Cardona, and Jaime Guitierrez, along with Mayor Tim Sandoval, Frank Guzman, and Jose Calderon.  Music will be provided by the nationally known Los Jornaleros del Norte, as well as the Cantaurtores, and the dA Center Mariachis. Inter-generational folklorico dances will be presented by Jalisco No Te Rajes and other local groups. Food will be provided by local vendors.

Some of the Sponsors include:  Latino and Latina Roundtable; 50th Chicano Moratorium, Pomona Valley Pride Center; Pomona Economic Oppty. Center;  Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe, LCLAA; Western University; Latino Student Union; Pomona 5K/10K committee; National Day Labor Organizing Network; Gente Organizada; UFCW Local 1428; PUSH; SEIU Local 1000; Union de Ranchos; UNITE-HERE Local 11; Lopez Urban Farm; LULAC; Ontario Future Alliance; dA Center; Gutierrez Law Firm; U of LaVerne; UAW; Cal Poly Chavez Ctr.