LA HABRA FULLERTON : Area Youths Salute Life’s Possibilities

About 15 children recently chanted “ Si se puede! “ meaning “Yes, it can be done!” during a picnic at Ralph B. Clark Regional Park.

Their meaningful words brought attention to the way they feel about themselves.

“You can do anything you want to do in your life,” said Luis Torrez, 10. “I want to be a lawyer because I want to help people, and I know if I try I can do it, even if I don’t have a lot of money.”

Luis, his sister and mother joined about 300 other children and parents from some of the poorest neighborhoods in La Habra for a day at the park in Fullerton.

The fourth annual event, sponsored by the county’s Community Service Programs Inc., was aimed at giving families a day to spend together outside their city as an end of summer “mini-vacation trip,” said Max Madrid, a CSP director.

Many of the families cannot afford to travel during their children’s summer vacation and said they were grateful for being invited to participate in the free event.

They were provided bus transportation from Las Lomas Elementary School to the park and back. Hot dogs and hamburgers were donated by Food 4 Less for lunch.

The children spent the day playing soccer and other games, dancing and listening to poetry readings by the Chicano Poet Society.

Girl Scouts representatives also provided parents with information about the organization and police showed up to talk to the park-goers about DARE, or Drug Awareness Resistance Education.

“This is the first time we’ve come to the park this summer,” said Carolina Rodriguez, who watched her five children and seven nieces and nephews play a parachute game and break a pinata.

“This is a good trip because going to the park is hard when you don’t have a car. It’s good for the kids to get out and play in a safe environment too.”

Juan Magana, 9, agreed. “It’s fun and I don’t have to be at home, bored,” he said.

Madrid said the event was created when students at Las Lomas said they had not gone anywhere outside La Habra during the summer.

“This gets them out and brings the community together,” he said.