Cristina Honors Special Fathers and Makes Their Dreams a Reality during Sonando Contigo

“-Veteran TV host Cristina Saralegui continued her quest to make dreams come true for deserving Hispanic families during a special Father’s Day version of her “Soñando Contigo” Univision show. The episode, which aired Monday, June 11, featured the story of two hardworking fathers who have made extreme sacrifices and efforts to provide for their families. Cristina called upon her celebrity friends such as international soccer player Hugo Sánchez, soap opera star César Evora, acclaimed singer José Feliciano, along with Washington Mutual to help make their dreams a reality.

“I am really happy to count on my personal friends like César Evora, Hugo Sánchez and José Feliciano in order to make the dreams of these special fathers come true,” said Cristina Saralegui, Hispanic TV host. “This could not have happened without the help of WaMu and their continuous support and commitment to the Hispanic community.”

The first segment story focused on the life of Jorge Grijalva, a 48 year-old Mexican-American from Houston who has been married for 29 years and who has five children. After being diagnosed with cancer, Jorge was forced to stop working. His wife quit her job in order to care for him. The family almost lost everything because they couldn’t pay for living expenses. After continuous cancer treatment, Jorge recovered from his illness and got a second chance at life. He decided to take the opportunity and enjoy his passion – the sport of soccer. Jorge has been playing soccer all his life and his dream was once to be a professional soccer player. One of the activities that kept him close to this sport was coaching his youngest daughter’s soccer team and helping with fundraising activities such as bake sales and raffles to buy uniforms and equipment for the team. Jorge is an inspiration and idol not only to his children but to the soccer team he coaches.

In an effort to make Jorge’s biggest dream come true, WaMu flew him and his wife to México where he had the opportunity to meet his idol Hugo Sánchez, a famous soccer player and current coach of the Mexico national football team. During his appearance on the Soñando Contigo show, Jorge also received soccer uniforms and equipment for his daughter’s team valued at $700 and a $6,000 WaMu debit card which he can use to plan the honeymoon of his dreams which he never had.

“Meeting Hugo Sánchez was a once in a lifetime experience and my childhood dream and I can’t thank Cristina and WaMu enough for making this possible,” said Jorge Grijalva, “Soñando Contigo’ guest and hardworking father. “My wife and I feel extremely blessed and happy that we will be able to finally have the honeymoon that we never had, this is definitely the best Father’s Day one could ever have.”

The second story of the show focused on the life of Roberto Plaza, a 39 year-old single father of three from New Jersey. Roberto has a 13-year-old son and 12-year-old twin daughters, one of who was severely beaten by her mother when she was only 5 months old. As a result, she suffers from several medical conditions and needs constant care. After his divorce, Roberto’s mother moved from Puerto Rico to New York to help her son raise his three children. Roberto contacted Cristina to help him honor his mother for all of her efforts and sacrifices. Cristina believed it is Roberto who deserves the recognition because he has given his life to taking care of his children by working odd jobs and walking 45 minutes to the nearest grocery store to buy food for his family because he doesn’t have a car.

Roberto wanted his mother to meet her biggest idol, soap opera star César Evora. Being one of Cristina’s personal friends, César agreed to spend an entire day with her. César flew to New York, picked her up in a limousine, provided her with a complete makeover and treated her to lunch. During his appearance on the show, César Evora presented Roberto with a very special surprise from WaMu – a $10,000 check, which he can use towards buying the car that he desperately needs, along with a $1,000 WaMu debit card for gas and other living expenses.

“I was very surprised to see that Cristina and WaMu honored not only my mother’s dreams but also helped me financially so that I could buy a car,” said Roberto Plaza, “Soñando Contigo’ guest and hardworking father. “With my new car I will be able to drive all my children to school, pick up groceries and hopefully find a better paying job.”

“WaMu’s commitment to our communities where we do business is to take part in issues that matter to our customers and our employees,” said Ricardo Torres-Díz, a store manager at WaMu who appeared on the show to present WaMu’s gifts. “Being able to help these families demonstrates just one way we are actively engaged to do good work.”

In addition to these two stories, “Soñando Contigo” also touched the hearts of three other Hispanic families. Some of the dreams that were realized with the help of Cristina’s network of guardian angels included a couple’s wish to renew their wedding vows in front of their daughters in Las Vegas before the father left to Iraq for the third time; a blind father’s dream to meet his idol, singer José Feliciano; and a Cuban Political Prisoner who’s dream was to be able to afford new shoes for his oldest son and provide the necessary financial support for his wife and new baby. “

• Watch the sketcher en español at KUNS-TV Noticiero Noroeste – Seattle
• Ricardo Salinas Breaks Ground for What Will Be the Most Modern Television Studio in Latin America – Mexico City
• Brazil replaces Mexico as China’s top market in Latin America and boosts its surplus as well.
• The mayor of a wealthy suburb (San Pedro Garza Garcia) of Monterrey said Monday that he has sent his family to the United States for their own safety as he pursues his campaign against extortion and kidnapping gangs.
• Expert: Juárez violence a ‘terrorist war’
• Mexican Mennonites Impacted by Drug Violence
• Mexican farmers reeling from worst drought in decades
• Mexico City’s famed dance-for-peso halls fading
• Americans Running South: Why We are Flocking to Mexico for Work
• On the mayor’s agenda: ‘Civilize’ Mexico City – Marcelo Ebrard
• Hispanic Entrepreneur profile: Entrepreneurship began early for Gándara family – El Paso
• At-risk Hispanic students get a hand up in after-school program at Bonnabel – Louisiana
• When Fidel Castro Dictated to the Old U.S. Media
• Juárez violence: Drug-war brutality persists despite presence of military
• Mexican doctors pointed to parents as the reason Mexico leads the world in child obesity, a problem made worse in this country by the lack of sports training.
• Mexico’s top domestic security official said Friday that sectors of the general public have cooperated with drug cartels in the violent border city of Ciudad Juarez, and the government is about to launch new social programs there to combat gangs.
• Pro-Castro mob attacks spouse of top Cuban blogger – Yoani Sánchez
• Susana Iglesias, writing from the streets – Mexico City native is winner of the first-ever Aura Estrada Prize, an international competition for young women writing literature in Spanish.
• “They” Are “Us”: The Devastating Effects of Broken Immigration Policy on Children in Immigrant Families
• Angel Reyes Interview About Child Safety In Cars On Good Morning Texas