The Latino Club on April 21 will host a night of cultural celebration, promoting not only the club, but what it stands for — diversity in ethnicity.

Club adviser Jose Rojas said the event — which debuted last year — this year has already undergone a name change — International Night — to be more inclusive to the school’s diversified student body.

Rojas said the idea was put forward by ESL department head Stacy Brugnolo and Principal Dan Donovan as a way of drawing more people to the event.

Rojas the the club members were receptive to the idea. “It’s very fitting,” he said. “It captures the whole essence of the club, as well as the message our club wants to spread and that is that everyone at DHS and the Danbury community is welcome.”

President of Latino Club, senior Doris Illescas, says that “this club is where anyone, no matter where you come from, can feel like they belong to the school, because it no longer feels foreign when you walk into this room. People feel welcome, it feels like a home.”

She said the event, which will be held in the cafeteria, will give Danburians a taste of where they come from and to put their cultures on display.

Lending a helping hand to those in need, the Latino Club has offered assistance to Ecuador when the 2016 earthquake occurred taking the lives of 654 people, and leaving many deprived of homes, and basic living supplies.

Mabely Moreano, a senior who actively participates in the club, said members sponsored a drive to collect food, clothes, blankets and hygiene products to send to the devastated country.

“We reach out to Latinos in our community, but we can’t just stop there,” she said. “We want to reach out to everyone to be a part of our efforts and attend our event.”

The International Night will be a representation of what the club stands for. Senior Nicole Mora, club vice president, says that “we hope to represent all ethnicities and make sure that the Latino community in Danbury High School has a place to feel welcome.

“International night will be a night that shows the importance of these individual students, as well as their impact in the community,” Mora said.

Rojas adds that the event “will be a night when students get to parade their culture. Being from a different country is not easy, so we need to make them feel welcome.

“It can sometimes even affect their performance in school,” he continued. “That is one of the many reasons this club is so important. We need people from other countries, not just Latinos, to feel welcome and feel like they can be a part of something.”

Rojas said his goal is to break the lack of confidence many face when coming to a new country. He wants to be sure they are encouraged to be successful in English and Spanish, in a safe environment. This will put them on a solid road toward graduation.

Doors will open at 6:30pm. The night will include a Dj, dancing, singing, food donated by the Danbury community, and a flag parade performed by club members. Tickets will be sold for $5 and those who attend can purchase a variety of different foods inside the cafeteria where the event will be held.

“International Night is about channeling your heritage while being away from your country,” Rojas said. “It is truly beautiful because we all have different ethnicities and backgrounds we should be celebrating.”