Angela Minium, left, with her mother Marcia Alban Holmberg, who passed away in 2021. Courtesy photo
Angela Minium’s mother, Marcia, with Angela’s son. Courtesy photo
BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Angela Minium is one of many community members participating in Saturday’s Family YMCA Dia de Los Muertos Run to Remember. See https://losalamosreporter.com/2024/10/24/the-family-ymca-dia-de-los-muertos-run-to-remember-is-saturday-nov-2/. She is actually the person who brought the idea of the run to the YMCA as a suggestion.
Holmberg began running races three years ago following the March 3, 2021 death of her beloved mother, Marcia,who had lost her battle with lupus.
Marcia Alban Holmberg was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador in 1951. Her Catholic faith was very important to her and she honored it with the respect and love she showed for all those around her. Her greatest joys were spending time with friends, her family, becoming a mother, becoming a grandmother, dancing, laughing, and playing card games. She has been described as someone who was loved by everyone who met her “because she had the kindest, warmest, and most generous heart”.
“In March 2021, I was pregnant and dealing with difficult things in my life. A friend invited me to race and it changed me. Running has helped me to process my grief. Just moving and being out in nature has been very therapeutic. I run with a group but it’s not formal,” she said.
Angela said she approached the YMCA with the idea of a Dia de Los Muertos Run that would let people run in honor and memory of their loved ones who have passed away. The staff agreed and the first Dia de Los Muertos Run became a reality.
“I could not have put on this event without the help of Amelia Epperson, Jocelyn Chapman, Veronika Magelind and Michael Patchett from the YMCA as well as Stephanie Zielaskowski from the Los Alamos Co-Op,” Minium said.
Dia de Los Muertos is the Day of the Dead — an annual two days or longer celebration in Mexico, South American countries and in many areas of the United States with strong Hispanic communities.
Nov. 1 is dedicated to honoring deceased children and is often referred to as Día de los Inocentes or Día de los Angelitos (Day of the Innocents or Day of the Little Angels). On this day, families create special ofrendas (altars), decorate gravesites and offer toys, sweets or other items that the children enjoyed in life.
Nov. 2 is known as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead or Day of the Deceased) and is a day to commemorate adult ancestors and friends. Families visit cemeteries, clean and decorate gravesites and create elaborate ofrendas in their homes or at burial sites. They offer food, drinks, flowers and personal mementos to honor and welcome the spirits of the deceased.
The 5-K run will set off from the Los Alamos Co-Operative Market at 10 a.m. Saturday. The event will include an ofrenda (altar) with candles to light for those that are being honored by the runners. There will also be a board in which pictures of loved ones can be placed as well.
Anyone can attend the event who would like to. The Los Alamos Co-Op Market is located at 95 Entrada in Los Alamos. The Co-op is also have 16 local vendors in attendance including fiber artists, ceramicists, soap makers, painters and Flowers by Gillian!! There will also be multiple free activities for kids including face painting. Come by and have fun with the activities and cheer the runners on.
Angela Holmberg out for a run! Courtesy photo