Your Miss Universe is Colombian

So it's been a few days since Paulina Vega (Miss Colombia) was crowned Miss Universe in Doral-Miami, Florida. Well deserved you think? Like many pageants and competitions, the crowning moment usually leads to "so and so was robbed" across all social media.

Sharing your moment with Coca-Cola

Maybe it's just me but have you noticed all the Hispanic Heritage (Month) posts have ended? Actually...now I'm seeing a lot more Dia de los Muertos posts from corporations still taking advantage of a culture they do not understand.

Anyways. I recently came across the following tweet:

National Museum of the American Latino Campaign Contest - Part 3!

The Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino are up to their annual campaign design contest again. Vote for your favorite! Only one vote per person is allowed, so be sure to tell your friends to go vote for your favorite design. A trip to Washington, D.C. for a premier Cinco de Mayo celebration, a national media campaign, and a chance to be a part of history is on the line! To be honest I'm not sure what they plan on doing with these posters considering it's the third year. Maybe when the museum finally opens we can get the ball rolling right?

I chose the piece above because it stood out the most. It clearly defined what my family has gone through and what we all aspire to become/do. Alejandro Martinez from Santa Rosa, CA says, "This piece of art work is inspired by the struggles of all Latinos, and the hope they have for a brighter future. I tried to capture the moment where one generation passes down the torch to the next generation."

The National Museum of the American Latino's campaign contest winner

A few weeks ago the National Museum of the American Latino launched their 2nd Annual Campaign Design contest and today we have a winner! Ana Maria Villegas, whose design can be seen above, from Coral Springs, FL will be flying to Washington, D.C. for a special unveiling event. The winning design will be the featured image of FRIENDS' national campaign in 2013. Along with the trip to Washington, D.C. for an unveiling ceremony along with national exposure for their work, Ana will play an important role in the historic campaign to build a National American Latino Museum in our nation's capital.

"In this original pastel painting I portray the innocence and excitement of a Latino child being immersed within a new culture integrating Latino and American richness," said Ana. "The feathers represent the indigenous roots, as I found them in Native American and Aztec headdresses."

The new winner, although different from last year's winner, emphasizes Latinos in the U.S. I believe Ana really captured our soul and the addition of the American flag was probably key in the design.

The 2nd Annual Campaign Design contest is back!

Last year's design winner via Uno Branding

Remember last year's American Latino campaign contest? Well it's back for the second time! The Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino are giving their supporters the opportunity to be an important part of the campaign to create a National American Latino Museum in Washington, D.C. After receiving inspiring designs from talented artists nationwide during the inaugural Campaign Design Contest in 2012, the museum is bringing this contest back to give supporters the opportunity to share their artistic vision for this museum.

Last year's design by UNO Branding, a Latino-owned agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, won after more than 6,000 votes. This design by UNO Branding served as the central image for FRIENDS promotional materials, online imaging, and posters. Posters were distributed at major Latino conferences nationwide and to members of Congress.To be honest, I voted for this submission as well because it pretty much summed up our gente in the United States.

For more information on how to enter this year's contest, click here. 

Nominate your Leader of Hope!

AARP has teamed up with holaciudad.com/Philadelphia to find that "leader of hope." The contest asks visitors to nominate someone who is leading the fight against hunger in our community. Nominate them here and they could be the winner of a $ 2,500 donation to a charity that is making the difference in ending hunger. A donation will be made in the name of the winning Leader of Hope in the amount of $2,500 to a qualifying 501(c) 3 charity that will continue the work for the fight against hunger. The Winner and his/her Guest will also attend a Recognition and Award Ceremony, currently scheduled to take place on November 15, 2012. This is a perfect opportunity to recognize those who are not necessarily in the "spotlight" but continue to work for the good of the community.

Twitter fiesta with BeingLatino & Verizon FiOS

Being Latino and Verizon FiOS have teamed up for an Ultra Speed Twitter Party on Tuesday, June 26 at 9 p.m. EST. For full rules and regulations visit beinglatino.us.

Party Details: 

Party Details:
What: Verizon FiOS Ultra Speed Twitter Party
When: Tuesday, June 26, from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EDT
Where: Twitter Hashtag: #SomosFiOS
Who to Follow:
Panelists: @Franklogic, @ASexiness, @ramonbnuezjr,
@RemingtonsWorld, @webcitygirls
Moderators: @BeingLatino, @Hispanicize
Brand: @SomosFiOS
Prizes:

• Starhawk video game
• PlayStation® Vita (x2)
• PS3 Console (160GB)
• Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC – PlayStation 3 (320GB) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Bundle

UNO Branding wins the NMAL contest

We have a winner! A few days ago the National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL) had six finalists for their campaign contest. Luis Fitch, founder of UNO Branding (@UNOBranding), was the winner with "Many nations. Many cultures. Many colors". Fitch stated “At UNO Branding, we are very excited that our campaign poster design won. For us it is a great honor to help the Friends of the American Latino Museum continue to create awareness and support but mainly to accomplish the goal of one day having a museum to represent all Latinos in the U.S.”

The winning poster (pictured right) embodies everything I would want not only in a campaign...but a museum launch. It also doesn't highlight just one particular country (i.e. Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico, etc.). It's very important to be non-biased;  especially since we like to argue at times to see who's best. Can't wait to see the campaign and the actual museum opening.

Posters will be available throughout all of the museum's activities for the remainder of the year including their participation at the major Latino conferences and their national fundraising and awareness events. Posters will be also available at americanlatinomuseum.org and to attendees of the NCLR Conference in Las Vegas, NV.

National Museum of the American Latino design contest

 

UNO Branding (Luis Fitch, Salome Castro) Minneapolis, MN 

When I think about what the National Museum of American Latino might look like inside, I see everything. From our indigenous roots to our present state, it's a combination of old and new. I recently received an e-mail about voting for the campaign design contest. How did I not know this was happening!? The contest currently has six finalists from all over the nation, all very different. What does the winner get you ask? A trip to Las Vegas, NV, a national media campaign, and a chance to be a part of history is on the line! The exposure alone is enough.

I chose the one above because it's not only simple, but it embodies exactly where we are. Although at first glance it seems like a voting campaign, I like it. In today's advertising world, the simpler the better. The designer said it best, "Many nations. Many cultures. Many colors. Welcome to the new America. The concept of our poster design was the meshing of the Latino culture with the United States of America." The designer also probably realized, this is a launch campaign; not a concert, event, etc. Most of the other posters were a little too busy and some even stuck to "one" culture. The American Latino embodies all Latino cultures.

The deadline to submit your vote is tonight at 11:59pm EST, June 1, 2012. The winner will be announced this Monday, June 4, 2012.

Hustling on Dancing with the Philadelphia Stars

Photo courtesy phillychitchat.com.

Yes after 10 long weeks the Dancing with the Philadelphia Stars is finally over. And although my hustle to "Moves Like Jagger" did not win, I was very happy to support BrownStonePR and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter. For the first time ever I wasn't nervous performing in front of hundreds of people. Dan Gross put it oh so lightly in his column, "Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco DROP-ped it like it’s hot and charmed the crowd and judges during her cha-cha to win Sunday’s Dancing with the Philadelphia Stars event at the Crystal Tea Room." Although I'm a bit disappointed my Philly Latino community did not attend, I had fun hearing cheers from a crowd who had no clue who I was. Congrats to the councilwoman and the rest of the participants.

Special shout outs to:

• Megan Smith - You sure do put on good events ;). Thanks for putting up with all our personalities. Your costume idea was a hit with everyone.
• Kate from the Society Hill Dance Academy (SHDA) - My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
• Collen from the SHDA - We rehearsed for two days and in the end the routine went flawless. Smile more? I was smiling the whole time! Forget what the judges said lol.

Event: Explosion Salsera in Atlantic City

Need something to do Mother's Day weekend? Then bring your mom to Atlantic City for what might possibly be one of the biggest Latino concerts of the season. Explosion Salsera will take place on Saturday, May 12 at the Trump Taj Mahal. Musical performances will include Tito Nieves, Charlie Cruz, Jose Alberto "El Canario", Ismael Miranda, Paquito Guzman and more! Talk about an old school salsa line-up. For those interested in scoring tickets you can visit holaciudad.com and enter to win!

Think your chances of winning are bad? Well then visit  ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-736-1420.

Explosion Salsera
Trump Taj Mahal - Venue: Mark G. Etess Arena
Showtime: 8pm, Doors Open: 7pm
Ticket Prices: $98, $78 & $58
Note: $2.00 facility fee on all tickets.

Event: Dancing with the Philadelphia Stars (and me)

So what happens when you mix the nine (9) Philadelphians above on one floor? No you don't get America's Next Favorite Philadelphia Star, you get Dancing with the Philadelphia Stars! This year's fourth annual celebration (Sunday, April 22) will be bigger than ever...that's because yours truly is participating. This is a wonderful opportunity to raise money for a great cause and also just perform. It's been years since I performed due to my injury but I'm looking forward to it. It's not like I'll be flipping around and jumping over people...right?


Former participant Dan Gross stated, "It's hard to follow in the footsteps of Your Humble Narrator, especially when it comes to dance steps, but nine brave souls will be doing just that when they participate in the 4th Annual Dancing with the Philadelphia Stars event April 22 at the Crystal Tea Room atop the Wanamaker Building" All nine of us will be partnered with a professional from Society Hill Dance Academy and will perform a two-minute routine before a panel of judges.Do you want to know what dance I'll be doing? NO it will not be the salsa, merengue, bachata or anything remotely Latino. -_-

The fundraiser raises money for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA). Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder affecting the red blood cells. People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that become hard and pointed instead of soft and round. Please come and support so we can make this year's fundraiser more successful. According to the SCDAA website, sickle cell disease is a global disease affecting approximately 80,000 people in the United States with those of African descent being affected in the greatest numbers. In addition people of Mediterranean, Hispanic, Asian, Sicilian, Greek, Italian, Indian and Turkish ancestry are also affected, but in smaller percentages.

Tickets are $100, and will include a cocktail hour and silent auction. For tickets or info, visit dancingwiththephiladelphiastars.com.

Celebrating our heritage on-air

It's still Hispanic Heritage Month so everyone is still capitalizing on the fastest growing minority in the nation...but you already know that. Anyways, now and throughout the rest of the month, many cable companies and cable networks are joining together to pay tribute to the powerful and positive influence of Hispanics in America by shining a spotlight on compelling Hispanic-themed programming and movies On Demand. This positions digital cable customers just a “click away” from the history, struggles, art and food that are emblematic of Hispanic and Latino culture. This actually does sound like a positive initiative. I've learned throughout various campaigns, Latinos love seeing other successful Latinos on-air.


As partner in the effort, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) will share information about “Hispanic Heritage Month On Demand” and the associated programming through its social media and other traditional communication channels with its more than 200,000 members.Viewers wanting to explore the cross-section of On Demand programming being offered can visit www.thisiscable.com.

And in celebration of the month, Fanscape is offering one lucky reader a $25 gift card giveaway to MexGrocer.com. I mean who doesn't love a contest? Just write a comment below on how you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and a winner (chosen at random) will be announced on Friday, October 14th. Please be sure to include your contact information!

Here's an example of some of the spots airing throughout Hispanic Heritage Month:

Contest: Your better life

A better life is what we seem to want every day. However, like Spider-Man's Uncle Ben told him, "With great power comes great responsibility." Remember the post about "A Better Life" a few weeks ago? Well now's your chance to win free passes to a screening on Wednesday, July 6th at 7:30 p.m. Yes it's a little late notice but who doesn't love a free movie right!?

All you have to do is tell me in the comment section what your "better life" is and leave your e-mail address. My better life includes a home (already paid) where I can support my family and a part-time job that I love. Why a part-time job? That's because for some reason I have money and don't need to work :). To be eligible to win you should live in Chicago, NY, LA, Atlanta, San Jose, McAllen, Phoenix, San Diego, San Antonio or Miami.

Dear 15 minutes of fame,

So how cool is this. The folks at mi trabajo are giving you the chance to "Write your own billboard" with a chance to actually see it (if you win). Part of the popular With Love, Philadelphia XOXO campaign, the letter-writing contest enables Philly fans and budding copy writers to submit With Love lines at visitphilly.com/contest for a chance to see their work and name on a billboard along Philadelphia’s I-95, the main East Coast highway, in February. (Notice why I did mine above lol).

Seriously, every time I go up I-95 from Maryland, there are literally NO signs to Philadelphia until you hit Chester, PA. That's why I decided to go with the billboard above. Although I can't win, I figured I'd enter anyway. Check out the other example below (en español). Enjoy!

Contest: What's your SAW moment

"You think it's over, but the games have just begun." Clearly for the past seven years the SAW movie franchise has haunted our dreams over and over again every Halloween. Sure the "games" keep getting a little creepier and at this point you're sick and tired of it not ending. But you have to give it up to them, it's a good concept. Hopefully people that NEED to watch this turn their life around. Could someone use these movies as therapy? Well hopefully SAW 3D (in theaters Fri., October 29) finally shows some sort of "improvement".

Nonetheless, are you a huge SAW fan? Well now you have the opportunity to win a SAW prize package. Just let me know in the comment section your favorite SAW trap. Why the traps? Because it's probably what brings people to watch the films. Remember the barb-wire maze, the body-fat trap, ice cold, or even the merry-go-round!? Again just comment on your favorite trap and please leave your e-mail. Two (2) winners will be announced on Friday, October 29th.

Prize package includes:

• Mini posters (heart pounding and Tobin's face)
• Lollipops <-- random I know
  
• "Survivor" bracelets (styled like LIVE STRONG bracelets)
• T-shirts (L and XL)

Tu Empresa, Tu Futuro

Have you been in business over a year? Can you show proof of revenue? Well quickly write up a detailed budget and how you can use an extra $5k because you could be one of four small-businesses to win some grants! According to an article in Fox News Latino, "To commemorate entrepreneurs across the country, Sears is holding a contest that will award $5,000 grants to four of them across the country."

It's a known fact that Hispanic-owned small businesses grew at twice the national rate from 2002 to 2007—a rollicking 43 percent. The contest called “Tu Empresa, Tu Futuro/Your Company, Your Future” features Cristina Saralegui as a spokesperson. Business owners can enter by completing an online form and submitting a brief essay on what inspired them to create their businesses. Entrants also can refer up to four friends to participate.

Marc Anthony en concierto

Now I know a lot of you are Marc Anthony fans so that's why I'm happy to say he's performing este viernes at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. I'm pretty sure tickets are way way way out your budget, but luckily there's a chance to win tickets! Just visit holaciudad.com and enter your e-mail...it's simple as that. That's pretty much it for this post.

p.s. If you win tickets, you MIGHT see me there.

Win a "Twilight: Eclipse" Movie Package!

I'm not really a fan of the Twilight series but I know there is a HUGE fan base. In fact it's pretty funny what the saga has done with picking a "team". However, I am a huge fan of winning stuff and even giving out prizes. Now is your change to win an exclusive ECLIPSE prize package. Each prize pack includes:

• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse mini poster
• Bracelete
• Pen
• A voucher to download the soundtrack for free online
• Pin
• T-shirt
  

So what do you have to do to win you ask? Just leave a comment (with a contact e-mail) and tell me which "team" you choose and why! Are you into werewolves or vampires?! I'd let you know who I choose but maybe I'll tell you after the contest is over haha.

Twilight: Eclipse hits theaters next Wednesday, June 30th. P.S. Did you know there are three Hispanic actors: Christian Serratos, Alex Meraz and Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace)? News to me.

Emerging Latino Leaders

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is always looking for opportunities for Hispanic Americans. One of NCLR's amazing programs is the Lideres Initiative. The Líderes Initiative is a national program designed to create opportunities for Latino youth that will elevate their influence as leaders in the United States.

And now, if your in the process of getting into college or looking for ways to enter, the NCLR – Best Buy Emerging Latino Leaders Scholarship Program is providing an opportunity for Latino high school seniors to share their leadership experiences and win a prize. Applicants should submit an essay in response to the following topic:

Please discuss the biggest challenge or challenges that you have encountered as a Latino youth. How have these difficulties impacted your life and personal goals? Describe your determination to overcome these obstacles and how you have worked to excel beyond your existing limitations. How have these experiences inspired leadership in your life? Lastly, please discuss specific ways in which you have positively influenced your community.

In order to participate, you must be a High school senior of Hispanic descent and of course currently enrolled in high school with a minimum GPA of 2.0. You also must submit your application online and submit supported documents. Applicants have a chance to win $15,000, $5,000 and $2,500. Hurry because all entries must be submitted no later than Friday, April 20th, 2010.

For more information visit the Lideres page.