Fiesta Commission Thanks Volunteers for Supporting Nonprofits
1. Giving Thanks for you!
‘Tis the season to be thankful for our many blessings. The Fiesta® San Antonio
Commission is appreciative for its hundreds of hard-working volunteers, its many
marvelous members, its stunning sponsors, its fabulous Board of Commissioners,
and the always awesome San Antonio community it serves.
We here at the Fiesta® San Antonio Commission are grateful for you, our out-
standing volunteers. Thank you for all your service in support of all we do at the
Fiesta® Commission. We appreciate your hard work joining our efforts to raise
money for local nonprofit organizations throughout the South Texas community
as San Antonio’s “Party With a Purpose.” We are a largely volunteer-run organi-
zation, and we could not do it without your help.
We are also grateful for our many Commission members, Board of Commission-
ers, and sponsors, all of whom lend backing, leadership, and enthusiasm. Your
assistance and passion enables the Commission to thrive and grow, and we are
looking forward to a fantastic 2014 Fiesta® thanks to your help. We appreciate
each and every one of you, and we are featuring some holiday events to say,
“Thanks!”
As a way to thanks the San Antonio community, the Fiesta® San Antonio Com-
mission will be collecting unwrapped toys for Elf Louise on December 11th-13th,
from 10:00 am-5:00 pm. Please bring your toys to the Fiesta® Commission for
drop off, and visit our Fiesta® Store to pick up the perfect holiday gift while you
are here! The Fiesta® San Antonio Commission Staff will be heading out to wrap
holiday gifts together at Elf Louise on December 6th as a way to give back, so our
offices will be closed that day.
We look forward to celebrating the next few weeks with you and expressing our
gratitude in person. Thanks again for all you bring to the Fiesta® experience.
Gracias,
Mary Yearwood
Volume 1, Number 4 Volunteer Papel
November 27, 2013 Editorial Support by Ruby Camarillo
2. Fiesta’s economic, social impact
on city is great
of the money raised by the individual organizations. The
Commission is working to complete an updated study and
the charitable impact of Fiesta®.
Fiesta® is a jewel for San Antonio. It has helped
define the city in regards to celebrations and is a treasure
of our country. As the Fiesta® Commission moves forward
with our strategic plan, we want to share the Fiesta® spirit
and the spirit of the community throughout the region,
nationally, and internationally. Fiesta® is something to
be proud of – it has many layers and family traditions.
It is something that should be savored and enjoyed as it
has helped define the community and the city. We look
forward to helping shape San Antonio in the years to come.
Viva San Antonio and Viva Fiesta®!
By: JOHN MELLEKY AND JACK HEBDON, FOR THE EXPRESS-NEWS
Festivals are important to the life blood of any
community. It is a chance for the community to gather
together to celebrate. According to Audrey Shalinsky of
the University of Wyoming, festivals offer “a unified focus
for learning about history, government, community, social
interaction, traditional values, and social change.”
Fiesta®SanAntoniohasallofthesecomponentsand
more in its impact to San Antonio. Fiesta® started in 1891
with the Battle of Flowers parade. This makes this parade
the third oldest in the country, behind Mardi Gras and the
Tournament of Roses. Fiesta® has its roots in history since
the Battle of Flowers honors the heroes of the Battle of San
Jacinto and also the Alamo. In 2014, we will be celebrating
the 123rd year of Fiesta, meaning that in 2016, it will be the
125th anniversary.
As Fiesta® has grown over time, it has embraced
the various cultures of San Antonio and the country. As
Mardi Gras has various kings, Fiesta® created royalty to
represent society. There are nine official royalty now and
they represent the various cultures of San Antonio.
The various Fiesta® events are run by individual
nonprofits, and the Fiesta® San Antonio Commission is
the umbrella organization that oversees the marketing,
sponsorships and overall logistics for the festival. Each
nonprofit runs their own event and, with that, retains all
of the proceeds from that event. This makes Fiesta® unique
in the world – it is the only festival that has 100 different
nonprofits benefit from the festival. Also, those nonprofits
then use the proceeds to go back into the community,
whether it is for their programming, operating budget, or
scholarships. The royalty raises money and awareness for
their organizations and the community. This impact has
been a part of San Antonio for a number of years.
While gathering the community together to
celebrate the history, culture, and heritage of San Antonio,
Fiesta® also has a large economic impact on San Antonio.
In 2007, we estimated that the economic impact of Fiesta®
to the City of San Antonio was $284 million dollars. In 2013
dollars, this would be over $313 million. When the study
was done, it did not even include the charitable impact
3. We need your help!
Event Coordination Group
Special Events/As-needed
This group will be made up of volunteers who are able
to contribute hours during the day and evening to help
set-up, coordinate, and prepare for special events
for the Fiesta® Commission throughout the year.
Volunteer Phone Group
Flexible Hours
The goal of this group is to maintain constant
contact and encourage volunteer participation
throughout the year. This committee will serve
as a phone bank for other program needs such
as membership, outreach, and more. You can
participate in your off-hours from home or at
Fiesta® Commission offices- whatever you choose!
For additional volunteer opportunities in
operations, office administration, leadership,
marketing, and more, please contact Mary
Yearwood at 227-5191 x 115 or mary@fiesta-sa.org.
Support for the Fiesta Store®
Monday- Saturday
10:00 am-1:00 pm, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm
The Fiesta Store® has some cute new merchandise in
(calaveras, papel picado, jewelry, and more!). Mari
needs help pricing the merchandise so we can put it on
the shelves in time for the holidays. These items will
make great holiday gifts and you will get to see them
first! Retail experience is not necessary. We appreciate
having helpers who can come in on a regular basis.
Fiesta® Speakers’ Bureau
Flexible Hours
The goal of the Speakers’ Bureau is to tell the Fiesta®
Story. Most people don’t know why we celebrate, how
we prepare year round for Fiesta®, and the charitable
impact that the events have on our community. This
is your opportunity to serve as a “face” of Fiesta®
and help tell that story! Members of the Speakers’
Bureau will be required to attend training sessions.
ThankyouallforyourtimeanddedicationtoFiesta’smissionandthe“PartyWithaPurpose”thathasbeenhelping
San Antonio nonprofit organizations and community needs for over 100 years. We have some upcoming events
for which we will need volunteers, so please feel free to call or email me to sign up for one or more of the follow-
ing opportunities! I look forward to working with you. Thank you again for your support. VIVA FIESTA®! -Mary
The Fiesta store® hours
Normal store hours:
Monday- Saturday 10 am-5 pm
Closed Sundays
Holiday Store Hours:
November 27th 10 am-3 pm
November 28th- December 1st CLOSED
December 24th-29th CLOSED
December 31st-January 1st CLOSED
Be sure to visit The Fiesta Store® for unique, handmade gifts for your loved ones. Please take note of our holi-
day hours and remember the Fiesta® Store is loaded with brand new merchandise that is going fast, so don’t
miss out and stop by today!
4. Miss Fiesta San Antonio®
Miss Fiesta San Antonio®, Victoria Flores, rode on the Fiesta®
San Antonio Commission float for Fiesta de los Veteranos in the
San Antonio Veteran’s Day Parade on Saturday, November 9th.
The float featured veterans from VFW Post 76 and local Vietnam
veterans. Thank you for showing your support for our San
Antonio Veterans!
Victoria also participated in Career Day at Gilbert Elementary
School in Harlandale ISD. Victoria spoke to students about staying
in school and the importance higher education plays in reaching
their goals. She also discussed how to live a healthy lifestyle,
including eating fruits and vegetables and exercising daily.
2014 member Holiday EVENTS
The hoildays are known to bring families together and we at the Fiesta® Commission consider all our members
to be part of our Fiesta® family. As a thank you to our Fiesta® family we will be hosting some holiday events for
our members! The Annual Member Holiday Party will be at the Hard Rock Cafe on December 10th from 6:00-
8:00 pm. Join us for a night of fun complete with hors d’oevres, a cash bar, and river boat cruises to see the
holiday lights on the Riverwalk!
2014 Annual Member Holiday Party
Tuesday, December 10, 2014; 6:00-8:00 pm
Hard Rock Cafe, 111 West Crockett, San Antonio, TX 78205
The Fiesta® Store will also be featuring Member Night on December 17th from 6:00-8:00 pm. This exclusive
shopping event will give you an opportunity to take a break from the crowds and use your 15% member
discount to buy some festive holiday gifts such as jewelry, shirts, posters, calaveras, and much more! We will
provide light hors d’oevres and wine for your enjoyment.
To become a member and enjoy these events along with other benefits, please follow this link:
http://www.fiesta-sa.org/p/Get-Involved/221
5. Volunteer
Birthdays!
December
Josie Acuna
James Allen
Blue Alvarez
Johnny Balencia
Jesse Balleza
Mark Becker
Cassandra Castaneda
Ursella Castaneda
Chloe Collins
Gary Doriott
Jeanette Espinoza
Brenda Fernandez
Frank Galindo
Tiffany Galvan
Josie Garcia
Paulette Goodman
Dominic Gutierrez
Steve Hange
Sascha Kaster
Mark Morales
Toni Morrell
Mary A. Morton
Dwayne Naiser
Maggie Oniell
Chris Orencia
Mary Beth Owen
Gratches Propps
Joshua Job Reyna
Suzanne Rodriguez
Kandis Salazar
Vivian Sample
Bonnie Saucedo
Heather Sharma
Yolanda Triana
Robert Vargas III
BY: Ruby Camarillo
This month’s Volunteer Spotlight is Brenda Fernandez. Brenda has
traveled from Natalia, Texas several times a week to volunteer with
the Fiesta® Commission for over six years. You can find Brenda
working in the Fiesta® Store most often, but she has also logged in
many hours volunteering at Fiesta® events, parades, and occasionally
crafting items for the Fiesta® Store. Brenda enjoys volunteering the
most during the Fiesta® season when, “there are big crowds and lots
of energy.” Her favorite Fiesta® tradition is collecting medals and
her favorite medal is one gifted to her by King Antonio in 2005, the
day her grandson was born. We have enjoyed working with Brenda
throughout the years and would like to give her a huge thank you
for her continued support and dedication to the Fiesta® San Antonio
Commission.
volunteer spotlight:
Brenda Frenandez
crafting updates
Thank you crafters for your hard work and dedication to
creating beautiful handmade items for our Fiesta® store. While
the rest of the city is decorating Christmas wreaths, at the
Fiesta® Commission ‘tis the season for Fiesta® wreaths! Mari has
created instructions so that wreath-making is easy and fun. We
understand that volunteers cannot always complete one piece in
a single volunteer shift so we will now provide you with tags to
mark your progress.
Please take note of the changes to crafting hours as they have
changed slightly in observance of the holidays. Lastly, crafters
who plan to volunteer on Saturdays should contact our
Volunteer and External Relations Manager, Mary Yearwood, to
ensure we have coverage.
holiday Crafting hours
Tuesday 10:00 am-1:00 pm Wednesday 10:00 am-1:00 pm
Thursday 3:00 pm-6:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am-2:00 pm
Please note there will be no crafting November 28th-December
1st, December 24th-29th and December 31st-January 1st.
