Three Kings return to spread joy

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Three Kings return to spread joy

County News

Wednesday, 02 January 2013 13:37

News-Gazette Photo/Ken Jackson
At a pre-event press conference at Medieval Times, from left, Kissimmee City Commissioner Jose Alvarez, Kissimmee Utility Authority President Jim Welsh and newly-elected Osceola County School Board Member Kelvin Soto represented the Three Kings.

By Ken Jackson
Staff Writer
While most people were planning gatherings for Christmas or other end-of-year holidays of their faith, the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce was planning the eighth installment of its first big holiday party of 2013.
The Three Kings Day (El Dia de los Reyes) celebration will be Sunday at Gateway High School off Bill Beck Boulevard across from Osceola County Stadium from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and admission is free.
Three Kings Day is celebrated on the Epiphany, the day following the 12th Day of Christmas (think of the song, with Christmas occurring on the first day). It commemorates the visit by the Three Kings or Wise Men, who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh following the miracle of the birth of the Baby Jesus. The day is a traditional part of Latin culture and folklore.
Some 2,000 years later, Osceola County will celebrate at Gateway High with giveaways of toys and bicycles to some lucky children younger than 11 years old and free hot dogs and juice for the first 1,000 participants. Magic and clown acts, musical groups and other family entertainment will also be featured, and attendees can have their picture taken with the Three Kings.
Thanks to the generosity of a litany of local corporate sponsors, the Hispanic Business Council hopes to give away over 100 bicycles and 5,000 other toys at the event. A new bicycle will be raffled off every five minutes.
Attendance is expected to eclipse the over 8,000 people who attended the event last year.
At a pre-event press conference on Tuesday at Medieval Times, newly-elected School Board member Kelvin Soto and Kissimmee City Commissioner Jose Alvarez along with Kissimmee Utility Authority President Jim Welsh represented the Three Kings — in complete biblical garb — and joined with County Commissioner John Quiñones to announce the annual event.
“This is a great way to commemorate our culture and customs,” he said. “We’re making it a tradition that’s now nearly a decade.”
In an early Christmas gift, the Hispanic Business Council provided a scholarship donation of $500 $ to Carmen Carrasquillo of the Osceola County Council on Aging for its Buddies Youth Program.