HEP banquet honors local woman, former San Antonio mayor speaker
By CHRIS BARBEE cbarbee@leader-news.com

The late Gloria Vela will be remembered Saturday during the 16th Annual Hispanic Education Project scholarship banquet at the El Campo Civic Center. Her family will receive the recognition.

Mrs. Vela died Feb. 1 at the age of 66 after a lengthy battle with cancer. The wife of retired Myatt Elementary School Principal Gilberto Vela Sr. worked for I-C Manufacturing for 35 years and was then employed at El Campo Middle School as the at-risk coordinator. Active in her church and community, she served on the Hispanic Education Project committee.

Guest speaker is former San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros, who later served as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton administration.

Mary Arredondo, an HEP committee member, said funds raised at the banquet benefit El Campo and Louise graduating seniors.

She said besides profits from dinner tickets and tables, a 29-item raffle is being conducted along with a silent auction. Raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5.

Music will be provided by Joseph Canales, a former recipient of an HEP scholarship.

Individual tickets are $15 each for adults, $10 each for students (including college students) for a ribeye steak dinner. So that the right amount of food may be ordered, people are encouraged to buy their tickets and tables in advance.

Arredondo said Tuesday she thinks only one $250 Gold table remains, and several $150 Reserved tables are available. Tables and tickets may be purchased by calling her at 543-7855 or 541-6271, or Andrew Garza at 543-2218 or 332-1511.

The social hour starts at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m.