Fort Collins advocate Betty Aragon-Mitotes receives congressional award

Fort Collins community advocate Betty Aragon-Mitotes was recently awarded the 2023 Polly Baca Raíces Fuertes Community Leader Award from U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., for her contributions to Northern Colorado's Latino and Hispanic communities.

The award, which Neguse established in 2020 to honor former Colorado Sen. Polly Baca, recognizes community leaders in Colorado's Second Congressional District for their commitment to service, according to a release from Neguse's office.

“For more than twenty years, Betty Aragon-Mitotes has played a critical role in improving the lives of Latino and Hispanic communities across Fort Collins, Wellington, and the greater Northern Colorado area. She is a pillar in her community, an outstanding advocate, and a fierce champion," Neguse said in a written statement to the Coloradoan. "I was honored to name her as this year’s winner of the 2023 Polly Baca Raíces Fuertes Community Leader Award for her work to uplift and honor the legacy of Latino and Hispanic voices in Colorado."

The award specifically recognizes Aragon-Mitotes' advocacy for Fort Collins Tres Colonias neighborhoods and her documentary work to honor the legacy of Latino and Hispanic communities' contributions to the state, along with her work with the Fort Collins nonprofit Mujeres de Colores and establishment of the Museo de las Tres Colonias.

"Your steadfast dedication to Northern Colorado cannot be overstated and your continuous advocacy has cementedyou as a pillar in our community," Neguse wrote in his letter to Aragon-Mitotes announcing the award.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins advocate Betty Aragon-Mitotes receives congressional award