ROGERS, Ark — Hope gathered in Rogers for a Kermes, an event where guests share food in support of a good cause.
"It's a food sale with Mexican treats like enchiladas, tacos, gorditas, and pambazos – everything traditional from our land. These events, many times like today, are for the patron saint of festivities; on other occasions, they are to raise funds for the sick or abandoned children," organizer Maria Castro explained.
The group, Migrantes Unidos por Taranda Y Sus Alrededores en Arkansas (United Migrants for Taranda and its surroundings in Arkansas), joined together in Rogers for a food sale.
"Everyone is donating their time, like those who are cooking. They come willingly and are not charging us anything. People who came to help us [put up canopies], as you can see, came of their own accord. The homeowners are graciously hosting this event. Even the person who provided the chairs, tables, bounce houses – everything is voluntary," Antonio Valois said. "At the entrance of the house, there's a table where tickets are sold. Each ticket costs $1, and the food ranges from $4 to $5 for different dishes. So, the money is not used here; it goes into the ticket box so that people can see we're not pocketing the money."
Antonio Valois was one of the volunteers at the event and also participated in the group's activities. He explained that this specific event was organized to help fund celebrations in their hometown of Tarandacuao, Guanajuato, Mexico.
"This is done every year in the month of October as a token of gratitude to the saint for all the good things he grants us. People in Mexico celebrate it, starting on October 14th or 15th, with a cultural week that includes daily events with artists coming from other states and even other countries. To organize these festivities, it requires a considerable amount of money. That's why we hold all these events – to send money to Mexico," Valois explained.
Valois explained that the Taranda reach expanded to different parts of Texas, California, Chicago, and even North Carolina. The funds from Kermes like theirs would be sent back to help communities and ranches nearby such as La Purísima, San Juan, Paso de Ovejas, Hacienda Vieja, La Mora, El Puente, San José, and many more. He explained that the effort was on both ends, in the US and Mexico.
"We do it from the heart, and we don't ask for anything in return. It's something that comes from our heart, to help our people and, above all, to raise the name of our land, Tarandacuao, Guanajuato, Mexico," Valois said.
"It's our unity, the unity we have, that unites us with Central America and all the countries that want to join. That's how Mexicans are, we like to unite and celebrate together, it's beautiful," Castro said.
Kermes events have been organized for many needs. In the Northwest Arkansas area, Kermes have been organized for families in need with issues like funeral costs, medical bills, and much more. The Taranda group has also organized Kermes for other needs as well.
"Through the help we provide to people, we also assist the sick, those who need expensive medications or dialysis treatments, countless diseases, and the costs in Mexico are high. We also do that here, and people in Mexico do their part as well. So, we are like a union, united from afar, but united to help those in need ... It's a great satisfaction, especially when we work for the sick. We encourage each other, and many hands help us," Castro said.
Many Latino and Hispanic Dishes were available at the Taranda Kermes, representative of many nationalities. Both Valois and Castro explained that Kermes events are hosted by many communities and have become a way to connect differences.
"We have different customs, but in these events, we get to see each other's customs and appreciate them from other countries, aside from our own," Valois said.
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