Hey all,
This is Yvette Benavidez Garcia, Roy P. Benavidez' daughter.
I'm posting on this site in hopes that whoever is reading this can help.
Back in 2017 we asked for your support in helping to rename a local school after my father. The school looking to be renamed is called Northside Elementary. It is located in the town of El Campo, Tx, the town in which my father retired to and lived until his death. Just so you'll know, it is not named after anyone, just a location on a compass.
A local elementary school teacher started the effort about 4 years ago to rename the school after my dad. It has taken her this long because she's had to get 15 % of El Campo's registered voters to sign a petition to get the name changed. That's about 1500 signatures. On top of that, she also had to verify that those who signed were actual registered to vote. She recently completed her quest and presented it in front of the school board.
As with anything in life, she was met with opposition. There are some people in El Campo who do not want to see the school named after my father. They believe that my father doesn't deserve the honor because he wasn't the only one who fought in the war. They also believe that the town does not need to single him out. Furthermore, they believe that he has too many things named after him already and therefore doesn't need the school renamed after him.
All in all, whatever their reasons for opposing this are we believe that our school kids need this honor in order to help inspire them to be the best that they can be. My father devoted his life to our youth and walked those very halls at Northside Elementary. He spoke there numerous times instilling the importance of getting an education, staying off of drugs and staying away from gangs. He was and continues to be an inspiration to all.
If you can find it in your heart to write a letter to our school board on my father's behalf, I'd appreciate it. We want to flood their emails with letters of support in the renaming of the Northside to Roy P. Benavidez Elementary.
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Here are the emails to our board members:
jrussell@ecisd.org
eerwin@ecisd.org
rvdubroc@ecisd.org
ganderson@ecisd.org
andorotik@ecisd.org
drawlings@ecisd.org
kwied@ecisd.org
cc: me too if you can at
yvettebgarcia@gmail.com
Yvette Benavidez Garcia