Nearly 18 months after proposing a new playground set for Wiggins Park, SALSA will celebrate this latest addition to the park on October 2. Completion of the installation of the new playground is scheduled for this week.

In addition to celebrating the new playground set, SALSA will honor five Mexican Trailblazers and award scholarships to college students at 11:30 am, Saturday, October 2, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

SALSA, the Strategic Alliance for Leadership and Social Action, was organized by Dr. Juan Andrade following the successful reunion of the first Mexican American families who settled in Brownwood almost 100 years ago.

After months of planning and organizing, the reunion was held August 10, 2019. Andrade said “After decades of neglect, the community needed a public voice in advocating for those things that needed to be done. SALSA was organized to be that voice. This is the latest in a series of SALSA accomplishments in working with City officials who installed an irrigation system at the park so SALSA families could donate 39 memorial trees honoring Brownwood’s first Mexican families.”

Later, SALSA embedded a memorial plaque in the ground by each tree with the names of the original families. And, at SALSA’s request, City officials repaired and repainted the pavilion which was constructed in 1973. More recently, City officials budgeted $150,000 for repairs and improvements to the Wiggins Park swimming pool, and funds for the construction of a recreational wall requested by SALSA.

SALSA is inviting City officials, civic leaders, media, and the general public to join the celebration at Wiggins Park from 11:30-1 pm, Saturday.