Latino Expo USA Features Free Services on Health, Housing, and Citizenship, Plus Celebrity Appearances and Giveaways to the San Diego Community

San Diego, CA – Families in the San Diego area can enjoy diverse activities that are free and open to the public from Saturday, July 12 to Monday, July 14 at Latino Expo USA, presented at the 2008 National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Annual Conference. NCLR is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. These events kick off with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, July 12 at the San Diego Convention Center.

Latino Expo USA is a free, family-friendly expo with fun activities and informative exhibit booths and fairs. At Latino Expo USA, the whole family can enjoy games, raffles, prizes, live music, dancing, food, and product giveaways, as well as receive information from more than 200 exhibitors. Children—and grownups—can pose for photos with favorite TV characters, including Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer, PBS’ Maya and Miguel, Sea World’s Shamu the Whale, and the San Diego Padres’ mascot, the Swinging Friar. There will be a Kids’ Trail sponsored by McDonald’s that will lead children and their families to child-friendly booths and a showcase of San Diego’s emerging talent to find the next generation of Latino superstars.

Saturday will kick off with the NCLR Diabetes Dash, a 5k run/walk (3.1 miles) that aims to strengthen public awareness of diabetes. NCLR Affiliate San Ysidro Health Center, Inc. will bring out their mobile health unit and a representative from the American Diabetes Association will join to share information on diabetes prevention techniques and programs, and offer diabetes screenings. The race is open to all and free registration is available at www.nclr.org/diabetesdash. On-site registration opens at 5:30 a.m. at the San Diego Embarcadero, behind the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina. The race begins at 7:00 a.m. Arrive earlier for the warm-up led by the U.S. Marine Corps. A free commemorative T-shirt will be available to all Dash participants.

On Saturday and Sunday, Latino Expo USA will also feature the Housing Fair and Health Fair. The Housing Fair offers free credit reports and other expert resources to families seeking information and counseling on such topics as establishing credit, qualifying and applying for mortgage loans, and finding ways to refinance mortgage payments. The Health Fair features bilingual health professionals, free health screenings, information on access to health programs and services, and family health tips. The free health screenings will check blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol levels, and test for HIV/AIDS, among other health factors. Univision Communications, Inc. will also be helping attendees register for digital converter boxes for the upcoming digital transition out of their booth.

Also on Saturday, NCLR, in collaboration with the national campaign ya es hora ¡Ciudadanía! and ConAgra Foods, will host a free citizenship application session for the first 500 eligible legal permanent residents. Sunday will also feature a free HOME Clinic to help local families find ways to mitigate the effects of the mortgage crisis. Lawyers and financial experts will provide counseling and services to participants at no charge. Finally, Monday’s focus is on recruitment opportunities and will feature a special list of exhibitors who will have Human Resources staff on hand to answer career-related questions and share information about opportunities.

MEDIA ADVISORY

JOIN THE FUN AT THE LATINO EXPO USA, PRESENTED BY NCLR!

It’s easy to make it to the 2008 NCLR Annual Conference and Latino Expo USA. Families can avoid parking fees by taking the MTS trolley or bus service to the San Diego Convention Center. On weekends, two children ages 12 and under can ride free with an adult who purchases a transportation ticket. Visit www.sdmts.com to learn more. For more information, visit www.nclr.org/latinoexpo.

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