{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://neguse.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-neguse-announces-betty-aragon-mitotes-winner-2023-polly-baca", "Congressman Neguse Announces Betty Aragon-Mitotes as Winner of 2023 Polly Baca Ra\u00edces Fuertes Community Leader Award in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month", "2023-10-14", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Joe Neguse", "N000191", "neguse.house.gov", "neguse", "https://neguse.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Joe Neguse\u2019s office announced at Downtown Longmont\u2019s D\u00eda de Muertos Family Celebration to award Betty Aragon-Mitotes with the 2023 Polly Baca Ra\u00edces Fuertes Community Leader Award. Betty has been a lifelong advocate for Latino and Hispanic communities in Northern Colorado, working to record and preserve their stories and life histories.\n\nThe Polly Baca Ra\u00edces Fuertes Community Service Award honors individuals who represent the qualities of service to others and the uplifting of the Hispanic community that former State Senator Polly Baca embodies. Rep. Neguse established the award in 2020 to recognize an exemplary leader in the 2nd Congressional District who best exhibits commitment to the service of others.\n\n\u201cAs we gather together to honor the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories that make up Colorado\u2019s vibrant Latino community, I am honored to present Betty Aragon-Mitotes with this year\u2019s Polly Baca Ra\u00edces Fuertes Community Service Award,\u201d said Congressman Neguse. \u201cBetty\u2019s commitment to Northern Colorado cannot be overstated \u2013 she is a pillar in her community and an outstanding advocate.\u201d\n\nBetty Aragon-Mitotes has been an advocate for over 20 years, helping to improve the lives of Latino and Hispanic communities across Fort Collins, Wellington, and the greater Northern Colorado area. She led efforts to protect the dissection of the Andersonville and Alta Vista neighborhoods by a proposed truck route, helped make affordable shopping accessible, and hosted community cleanup events. Betty founded Mujeres de Colores, a non-profit organization that elevates the status of women and children through education and leadership\u2014providing critical community support. In 2016, she established the Museo de Las Tres Colonias, a local museum honoring the Hispanic and Mexican beet workers who were recruited to work for the Great Western Sugar Factory.\n\nBetty is the producer of three documentaries all focused on uplifting and honoring the legacy of Latino and Hispanic voices in Colorado. She is a pillar in her community, actively finding ways to work with local leaders to highlight the importance of Hispanic heritage.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://neguse.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-neguse-announces-betty-aragon-mitotes-winner-2023-polly-baca"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2573177702724934, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}