SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The flag of Puerto Rico was raised up high at Linda’s Park in Springfield, in remembrance of community activist Jafet Robles.
Friday was the 6th annual Jafet Robles Memorial Puerto Rican flag raising ceremony. People celebrated Robles and the outstanding impact he’s had in the community.
Robles was a beloved friend, coach, son, and father who was murdered six years ago on September 11, 2017. He was passionate about local grassroots efforts and worked along side people like State Senator Adam Gomez when it came to making a change for the better.
“Jafet Robles was a community organizer that was born and raised here in the North End in the Latino community. And a person’s legacy can transpire and move a community forward and we’ve been seeing that since his passing. So we honor him today and remember him and all the work that he put into the city of Springfield and abroad,” said Senator Gomez.
Robles’s family honored another community trailblazer with the Jafet Robles Advocacy Award. The recipient this year was Letizia Soriano from Neighbor to Neighbor. This award is given to someone who continues to carry the same torch of making the community better. The award was presented by Robles mother Noemi-Jimenez, who hopes to continue to celebrate her son’s legacy throughout the city of Springfield.
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