Though Vicente Zepeda is president of Viva Paisanos San Nicolas in the Quad Cities, he admits the idea to raise money to help the Mexican town in which they grew up came from his wife, Maria Luisa Zepeda.
“It started with getting something fixed, by no means did I think it would become what it would,” Vicente Zepeda said. “A retired employee of the state of the Mexico started collecting money for a cemetery and that’s how we got started.”
The project was such a success that the municipality of San Nicolas decided to be involved. The municipal, state and federal government matches the amount that Viva Paisanos raises. For every one dollar raised by the local group, a total of four is raised.
As a result of fundraising, the cemetery was fixed. Zepeda says it became the best cemetery in that area. The cemetery even has a chapel (capilla in Spanish). “There are not too many chapels in the cemeteries,” he said.
Next on the list was a health clinic. After another success, the clinic has dental service, two consultation rooms, and a waiting area. $5,000 was needed to fix the altar. Previous events have raised $25,000 through food sales and the collaboration of the people from San Nicolas. The group’s most recent event, the Santa Cecilia festival was not as successful but still raised about $500.
The money raised at the festival as well as upcoming fundraisers will go to fix the main door of the church in the town. No official estimate has been done but Zepeda said it’s about three to five thousand dollars depending on the quality of the main church door.
Long term goals include the pews, fixing the garden and adding a fountain to the garden. Zepeda asks for the support of the people from San Nicolas since money is needed to help out the place they came from.
“If we knock at your door, help us cooperate to go forward,” he said. “If we want to see our town in better shape, we need to get together to do things.”
Zepeda estimates that there are about one hundred families from San Nicolas in the Quad Cities and with their help a lot of money could be raised.
“If everyone gave $100, it would be $10,000. The government would match three times for $30,000 of their own. That would be $40,000 raised.”
Viva Paisanos San Nicolas was founded three years ago and located in the Quad Cities, raising money for the city of San Nicolas in Salvatierra, Guanajuato, Mexico. Membership consists of families from San Nicolas, who may live in the Quad Cities but want to give back to their hometown.
For more information you can contact Zepeda at La Imperial, 134 4th Ave. Moline and the vice president Angel Vargas at La Primavera, 1510 6th Ave. Moline. They may be contacted at their respective stores for more information. Other officers for the group are treasurer, Arturo Sancen and secretary, Dolores Ojeda.
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