Annual block party held to raise money for city in Nicaragua

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Arcata, Ca., (KIEM) “We’re raising money for Arcata sister city in Camoapa, Nicaragua. This has been a relationship going on for 33 years,” said I-Block Party Coordinator, Katrina Suarez.

Now it’s here to stay,  I Street Block Party started as a fundraiser for Los Bagels in Arcata, shortly after Dennis Royale, owner of Los Bagels handed the fundraising efforts over. Now, money goes to Arcata’s sister city in Nicaragua and it couldn’t have happened at a better time.

“At the time when this was established we were at war with Nicaragua and other Central America countries,” expressed Suarez.

Labor Day is to celebrate the working class for all they’ve done, to protect labor law. But Nicaragua native, Marisela Wassenaar said labor is not a celebration where she is from,

“In Nicaragua people really don’t make a lot of money it’s a very poor country and we don’t get a lot of food banks. Whatever you make that’s what you use for your food and your healthcare.”

This is why the block party came to life to help those in need

“Extremely happy that everybody is here helping. Every single dollar spent is going to be helping the community in Nicaragua” Gina Schulz, another Nicaragua native shared.

“We pay for scholarships down there, we donate to the library, we just finished up a really big project that we’ve been working on for seven or eight years building a well for their hospital. Now their hospital has running water, which is wonderful,” added Suarez.

It’s gesture like this that spark hope in humanity

“This activity makes me believe in the world, in the human kindness and how we can improve as a whole world to help each other, ” replied Schulz.

Suarez shared now that the block party is over they are looking for the next big project to tackle that will benefit the county of Nicaragua. The I-Block Party promotes international friendship, solidarity and peace.