Pelón
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His nickname is Pelón, which means bald in Spanish. We call him that because he has a shaved head. He's a soccer player, and very recognized in his community. Everyone knows him. He was the one that used to score the goals. Very popular kid. Very nice, very down to earth, very easy-going. Of all the people I've brought to Edmonton, he's one of the most memorable.
Pelón’s mother had cancer, and he came here to earn enough money to pay for her treatment. He's a labour guy and he could not have earned enough working in Mexico. He'd heard a lot about this new adventure - good things about Edmonton and Alberta. I was part of the team that helped give him this opportunity.
He was saving and saving but it was hard because he was a teenager, 19 years old. Well, he became an adult knowing that his mom was far away and he really needed to save up and to go back to help her with the operation and everything. And get treatment. He tells me this story and it's heartbreaking. It's really sad to hear. Imagine how you'd feel if you your mom was away from where you are and she's so afraid and she's in pain and you really need to help her (Pelón is an only child). That was one of the most incredible stories. I mean he's her son, and okay, he's here, he's making money, he's meeting people, but still he's not forgetting about who is part of his life and he kept in mind all the time that he has to help to those who gave him life, and that's an amazing person for us and I would consider him a very exceptional man because he's also a very nice worker and a very good friend.
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Jorge Torres
Jorge Torres is from Tamazula, Mexico. By the time he was 23, he’d visited 23 countries. He's 26 now, and admits he's behind on the country-a-year pace. Jorge is a construction marketing consultant based in Edmonton who helps place foreign workers with Canadian employers.
