Hobbs Hispano Chamber outlines 2024 plans
Caleb A. Gallegos/News-Sun
The Hobbs Hispano Chamber held its annual board meeting Jan. 9 to highlight its success in 2023, and announce its goals for the 2024 year.
Hobbs Hispano Chamber President Sergio Polanco led the meeting Tuesday and explained some of the ideas and goals he and his team have planned for the up coming year, which include revamping some events.
“I want to share some goals that I have set for the year 2024,” Polanco said. “A lot of it will be the same thing the chamber already does, but just revamping somethings that might have fallen off the grid as I got started here.”
The Hobbs Hispano Chamber puts on a number of events throughout the year to highlight thier mission of culture for the community to gather and enjoy.
Due to restrictions put in place during the COVID pandemic, events like Mariachi Christmas and Fiestas de Septiembre were forced to stop — but the plan is for those events to make a return.
In December, the HHC was able to put on Mariachi Christmas, which saw a good turn out with more than 1,000 people during the day event and around 1,000 people during the night events, Polanco said during the meeting.
“These events are something that we work with our foundation to bring you,” Polanco said. “We work to bring these bigger events to the community to show our culture and how things are celebrated.
“These are big celebrations that bring different cultures to the community”
Fiestas de Septiembre will be voted on at the next HHC board meeting, and if approved, planning for the event will start.
The last Fiesta de Septiembre was held in 2019 — its 10th annual event.
HHC Board Chairman Oscar Gonzales said he hopes to have the vote approved so the planning can begin.
Gonzales explained the event, which is free to the public, will take place downtown with performers who perform Norteno, Tejano and Mariachi.
“The reason that we put this event on is to bring the community closer to our culture and to raise money for scholarships,” Gonzales said. “With the demographic of Hobbs having a high Hispanic population, we hope to see it back soon. Education is very important to the foundation.”
Polanco then talked about the collaboration with W.E.S.S.T. (Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Team), Local Supporting Local campaign and local organizations.
Polanco finished the meeting by introducing the members of the board and their background with the Hobbs Hispano Chamber.
