Sunset Summer Cookout

A RI moment of "Inclusive Harmony & Diversity."

By Tomás Alberto Ávila

June 1, 2011

Back in 1996 when I made the decision to involve

myself in the empowerment of the growing Latino
community, I was invited to many social events
all across the state by different individuals and
organizations attending most of them along with
my beloved wife Eva Carolina.

During such outings my beloved wife being the

observant that she is, called to my attention the
fact that wherever we went, we never saw the
same crow of Latinos across the different events
we attended, and she inquired why was that. Not being familiar with the community at that point
or the social atmosphere of the state to make any judgment or conclusion to her observations, my
response was not to pay attention to such matters because that wasn’t our purpose in attending
the events.

But after many inquiries from my wife, it eventually made me aware that what she had noticed
was indeed real and very obvious to me that it wasn’t something to ignore and not address
somehow, and I made the decision to analyze the situation further and research the reason for
such social segregation in the community. As I got more involved and more accepted in the
different social circles, it became very obvious to that what my beloved wife had notice was truly
a social issue based on the social fragmentation of our community across the 21 countries that
make up the Latino community in this country and state that socialized among like minded
country mates family and friends while leaving
out others as is customary with humans of all
spheres.

It was that awareness back in 2000 that inspired

me to organized the a social event at our humble
home that I entitled “Sunset Summer Cookout”,
with the mission to be inclusive and open to
every and all individuals I came in contact across
my socio economic political network statewide
and start the process of socially integrating the
community around an event where everybody was welcomed and considered part of the whole
regardless of nationality or social standing and also made the decision to make the event potluck
style to allowed everyone the opportunity to contribute to event and feel equally invested among
all attendants.

Sunset Summer Cookout Tomás Alberto Ávila

That decision achieved the constant attendance
growth of the event by bringing together my social
sphere from students, business associates, nonprofits
civic, political and establishing the cookout as the
event to attend and be part of once a year and
network among all ranges of societal leadership.
Since its beginning the Sunset Summer Cookout
attracted emerging Latino political figures from
across the city and state, which by default attracted
the attention and attendance from the general
community, that identified the event as a place to network with up and coming Latino leaders
such as City Councilman Luis Aponte, State Representative Candidate Victor Capellan, Juan
Pichardo, Melba Depeña, Carlos Matos, Angel Taveras, Gonzalo Cuervo, Miguel Luna, Ricardo
Patiño, Alido Baldera Sabina Matos to name a few. Since the start of the event, it has attracted a
long list of aspiring candidates and elected officials throughout Rhode Island political scene,
some of whom have become elected to lead our state such as: U.S. Senate Candidates Lincoln
Chafee, Robert Weygand and Richard Lich, State General Treasurer Paul Tavares, State Senate
Candidate Juan Pichardo District 10, District 2, State Representative Candidate Gonzalo
Cuervo, State Representative Candidate Luis Tejada, City Councilman Candidate Miguel Luna,
City Councilman Candidate Ricardo Patiño, Democratic Party Executive Director Melba
DePeña, Representative Grace Diaz, Ward 15 Council Candidate Liandra Martinez,
Congregational Candidate Angel Taveras, State Senator Candidate Pedro Espinal, State Senator
Candidate, State Representative Candidate Leo Medina, State Senator Candidate Andrew Galli,
Gubernatorial Candidate Myrth York and Sheldon Whitehouse, Attorney General Candidate
Patrick Lynch, Secretary of State Edward Inman, Secretary of State Candidates Matt Brown,
Secretary of State Candidate, Mayoral Candidate David Cicilline, Mayoral Candidate Solis, State
Senator Frank Ciccone, Congregational Candidate Ed Morabito, Guillaume deRamel, Secretary
of State Candidate, United State Senate Candidate Carl Sheeler, United State Senate Candidate
Sheldon Whitehouse, United State Senate Candidate Matt Brown, State Representative
Candidate Wilbur Jennings, City Council Candidate Nicolas Narducci, Cranston Mayor and
United State Senate Candidate Steven Laffey, City Council Candidate Jose Brito, City Council
Candidate Eulogio Acevedo, City Council Candidate Pich Choun, Sheldon Whitehouse, United
States Senator, David N. Cicilline, Candidate for 1st District U.S. Congress, Anthony Gemma
Candidate for 1st District U.S. Congress, David A. Segal Candidate for 1st District U.S.
Congress, Frank Caprio Candidate for Governor, Patrick Lynch, RI Attorney General, John
Robitaille, Candidate for Governor, Elizabeth Roberts Candidate for Lieutenant Governor,
Ralph Mollis Candidate for Secretary of State, Leonidas P. Raptakis Candidate for Secretary of
State, Peter F. Kilmartin Candidate for Attorney General, Joseph Fernandez (RIP) Candidate for
Attorney General, Stephen Candidate for Attorney General, Gina Raimondo Candidate for
General Treasurer, State Representative John McCauley, Jr., Senator Maryellen Goodwin,
District 1, Anastasia Williams House of Representatives, District 9, Juan M. Pichardo, Senator,
District 2, Harold Metts, Senator, District 6, Scott Slater House of Representatives, District 10,
Ana Quezada Candidate for House of Representatives, District 10, Angel Taveras Candidate for
Mayor, City of Providence, John J. Lombardi Candidate for Mayor, City of Providence, , Steven
M. Constantino Candidate for Mayor, City of Providence, Nicholas Narducci City Councilor, 4th
Ward, Luis Aponte City Councilor, 10th Ward, James Diossa City Councilor, Central Falls,

Sunset Summer Cookout Tomás Alberto Ávila

 Edwin Pacheco Chairman, Rhode Island Democratic
Party to name a few.

I became aware that the idea of the cookout was the right
one in 2001, when I decided that I wasn’t going to
organized the event any longer, and I was flooded with
calls and emails from members of the community
requesting that the cookout must go on, because they had
become accustomed to it and couldn’t be cancel and taken
away from them. After so much pressure, my friend Betty Bernal convinced my beloved wife
that if I wasn’t going to organize it, she was going to partner with and organize it and I agree to
allow them to organize it during the first week in August. Even with the delayed scheduling, the
community responded and thanks to the community insistence and Betty’s determination, the
Sunset Summer Cookout has become an annual tradition.

During the 2002 election season, there were so many political candidates present with their
campaign entourage and media material, that many individuals baptized the event with title “The
Latino Political Convention”, which still cause the biggest attendance turnout during the
electoral years. This tradition continuo during the 2010 event, which saw a record breaking
attendance of thirty five candidates covering the complete range of elected positions across the
state of Rhode Island.

The cookout further became a networking

opportunity to members of the Latino community
that allowed them the opportunity to meet and
socialize with future and elected officials and obtain
employment opportunities and developed business
relationships as well educational opportunities to
many youngsters in the community, contributing to
the increase rise of young Latino professional
among elected officials staff and other industries
across the state. Many past attendants have obtained
employment through connections established at the
event, and many love relationships have bloomed throughout the years with an indirect
contribution to formation of new households and the continuous growth of the Latino
demographics. The other landmark of the event that has become a measurable yardstick, are the
many children born to friends and acquaintances during the last 11 years, and witnessing many
of their children reached adulthood and become productive and contributing members of the
improvement of the Latino community and the state of Rhode Island.

My biggest satisfaction co founding the Sunset Summer Cookout with my Wife Eva, has been
the opportunity to achieve our mission to provide a forum to integrate our community and
allowed it to socialize without the social while celebrating friendship and human relation in the
harmony of our residence regardless of socio economic status, and providing accessibility to
Latinos from all walks of to life changing opportunities through the networking with many
individuals whom they would had never met otherwise and a forum for social adversaries to

Sunset Summer Cookout Tomás Alberto Ávila

network with each other in a social setting conducive to harmonious relationships for a few hours
that in many cases have transcend the Sunset Summer Cookout, and allowed them to the
understating of collective collaboration in moving our community forward. All of this for the
admission price of their favorite food or drink, but most importantly their presence.

The event has also been the attention grabber of the

growing Latino media throughout the years, such as the
social pages of the fledging Providence En Español 2000-
2004, Siglo 21 2002-2003, RILatino.com, RIMix.com,
Tiempo Social 2004 that have played an important chapter
in the institutionalization of the event.

During the 2010 cookout a large number of the candidates

in attendance approached me during the event to thank me
for being so inclusive and allowing them to be part of the
cookout despite their campaign opponents being part of the event and treating them with respect
and making them feel comfortable and welcome in a harmonious setting, that gave me the
opportunity to rebrand the event tagline to “A Rhode Island Moment of Inclusive Harmony &
Diversity” to capture their comfort and the legacy of the Sunset Summer Cookout of inclusivity
and diversity.

In conclusion, the biggest value added for the success of the Sunset Summer Cookout, are the
thousand of Rhode Islanders of all walks of life, friends and family members from New York
and Massachusetts, that have honored us with their presence for the last 11 years. You are the
reason for the success of the event and place it into a classic tradition across the state, and Eva
and I are forever grateful for your support and commitment to our event.

Lastly I must conclude paying my deepest respect to many supporters and friends that became
part of the cookout network, who are no longer with us such as Robert “Bob” Graziano (2011),
Joseph “Joe” Fernandez (2010), Raymond (Tailor) Ogando (2009), Tony Marcella (2008). May
God have them in his glory and may they rest in peace as we shall never forget them.

I closing I look forward to you joining us Friday June 24, 2001 5:00 – 11:00 PM 11th Annual
Sunset Summer Cookout: A Rhode Island Moment of Inclusive Harmony & Diversity.

2010 Sunset Summer Cookout http://www.blurb.com/books/1575123

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/57126591?access_key=key-1q0ntbw3d1gi4c2j1xys

Originally published May 1, 2006.

Sunset Summer Cookout Tomás Alberto Ávila

Sunset Summer Cookout Tomás Alberto Ávila