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Garza wins Cinco de Mayo crown


Emily Grace Garza, 10, daughter of Monica and Joe Martinez of Knippa and Gilbert Garza of Hondo, was crowned the Cinco de Mayo queen on May 3 at the annual festival put on by American Legion Post 479. The event was held at the Jardin de los Heroes Park on West Main St.

Garza raised $1,578 for the post. Garza is allowed to keep 40 percent of what was raised, while the other amount will go to scholarships.

As queen, Garza will be attending auxiliary and legion functions when her schedule permits. She attends Knippa Independent School District, where she is on the A/B honor roll.

She is also a member of the school’s cheerleading program. Among her interests are sewing, painting, crafting, baking and dancing. She is a devoted fan of the late Selena Quintanilla. She attends church at Trinity Fellowship in Uvalde. She assists parents, Monica and Joe Martinez, with missionary work in Mexico.

According to a press release from the American Legion’s auxiliary unit, Emily is not the first Cinco de Mayo queen in her household.

“Emily’s choice to run for Cinco de Mayo Queen has been a desire of her heart for quite some time. Emily’s mom, Monica, was Cinco de Mayo queen in 1984, when she was only 6 years old,” reads the press release. “Emily’s maternal grandparents were very much active in the Uvalde Fiesta Committee in the 1980s, which at the time was led by the late Jerry Carrasco.”

Emily’s cousin and escort, Elias Blanco, is no stranger to the royal family history either. His mother was the Cinco de Mayo princess in 1982.

Blanco is the son of Cristina and Benjamin Blanco. He is a fourth-grader at Robb Elementary, where he is also an A/B honor roll student. Elias is a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He enjoys math, reading and watching YouTube.

Stephen Martinez|TRI PhotographyEmily Grace Garza, the daughter of Monica and Joe Martinez of Knippa and Gilbert Garza of Hondo, is joined by her escort Elias Blanco, the son of Cristina and Benjamin Blanco, as she receives the honor of being crowned 2019 Cinco de Mayo queen. Garza raised $1,578 for American Legion Post 479. The annual festival was held May 3-4 at the Jardin de los Heroes Park in Uvalde.

Stephen Martinez|TRI PhotographyEmily Grace Garza, the daughter of Monica and Joe Martinez of Knippa and Gilbert Garza of Hondo, is joined by her escort Elias Blanco, the son of Cristina and Benjamin Blanco, as she receives the honor of being crowned 2019 Cinco de Mayo queen. Garza raised $1,578 for American Legion Post 479. The annual festival was held May 3-4 at the Jardin de los Heroes Park in Uvalde.

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