Event Kicks Off NCLR Annual Conference July 21-24 in Miami Beach

Miami Beach, FL – Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), will join noted actor Mario Lopez and PepsiCo for the Miami launch of the Smart Spot Dance! Initiative – a dance program developed by Broadway choreographer Maria Torres to promote healthy, active lifestyles in urban communities. The event will take place Friday, July 20, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. in Room D-130 of the Miami Beach Convention Center and kicks off the NCLR Annual Conference which is being held at the convention center July 21-24.

In partnership with several organizations including NCLR, PepsiCo has launched Smart Spot Dance! with national spokesperson Mario Lopez in several cities across the country and also developed an interactive website, www.smartspot.com. Health and wellness issues are a major focus of this year’s NCLR Annual Conference which will include daily workshops on a variety of health issues and a Town Hall on combating the obesity crisis in the Hispanic Community on Sunday, July 22 at 3:30 p.m. More than 20,000 community organization leaders, activists, and volunteers; elected and appointed officials; members of the corporate, philanthropic, and academic communities; senior citizens; college students; and youth are expected to attend this year’s Conference. For more information, go to www.nclr.org/conference.