But the small fiesta that the passionate trash company operations manager started to help raise money for needy children and to bring Hispanics together has survived. Money from the fiesta was used to buy Christmas baskets for needy families and for scholarships. In recent years, the fiesta has not broken even, but organizers say they would like to turn that around this year. Rose Harris of Santa Ana, who lost her husband three years ago and is suffering from colon cancer, was finding Saturday that the mission of the fiesta has not changed. Her friend Carmellia Williams got a booth free of charge, except for electricity payment, through the fiesta committee to sell candy, taquitos and nachos.
Every little bit helps.
The growth of Orange County's longest-running fiesta has mirrored the growth of Latinos in Anaheim. Hispanics make up nearly 47 percent of city's 328,014 people. Countywide, Hispanics make up nearly 31 percent of the total population of 2,846,289. By midday Saturday, about 3,000 had jammed into La Palma Park, some cheering soccer teams next door at Glover Stadium, others digging into food, and still others getting autographs from performers. Some visitors were aware that President George W. Bush had delivered a version of his weekly radio address in Spanish on Saturday morning, honoring the Mexican holiday.