Paul "Chico" Martinez Jr. built his life around a simple principle: when his community needed something, he showed up to help make it happen. Whether organizing large-scale events, feeding the homeless, or helping a single family through a difficult time, Chico approached every opportunity to serve with the same level of commitment.

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Throughout his years in Adrian, Chico served his community in many ways. He worked in the school district as a paraprofessional and coach, shaping young lives both in and out of the classroom. When students at Springbrook Middle School needed guidance launching a Thanksgiving turkey drive, Chico helped them turn the idea into reality, tapping his military connections to bring in National Guard trucks and guardsmen to handle distribution and move pallets of food. His quarter-century of service in the Michigan Army National Guard reinforced values he already lived by, supporting deployed troops through care package initiatives. He also lent his voice to social justice causes, joining efforts to protect Standing Rock tribal lands from pipeline construction and standing with movements like Black Lives Matter. He held candlelight vigils so families could memorialize their loved ones, organized backpack drives for students heading back to school, and was never afraid to step up or use his connections to get things done.

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Among all his community work, the project closest to Chico's heart was Adrian's annual Cinco de Mayo celebration. He started the festival in 2000 with the first celebrations taking place at Maria's Sunnyside. In the early years, Chico made it a priority to partner with local restaurants and businesses, including LA Café, Fiesta Ranchera, and Cancun Mexican Restaurant, giving others the opportunity to host, participate, and connect with the community. One year, he worked with Air Force connections in Toledo to organize a flyby. The parade came later, and eventually the celebration moved downtown in 2020. For over twenty years, he handled the logistics, coordinated the entertainment, and made countless decisions, all guided by one unwavering belief: barriers shouldn't exist between people and celebration.

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When doctors diagnosed Chico with an aggressive and rare form of lung cancer in 2019, he faced odds that would have discouraged most people. The disease typically leaves patients with limited time, but Chico fought through three years, experiencing two remissions before the cancer returned forcefully. Even while battling his illness, he continued working diligently to organize the event and make everything happen. He passed away at home in November 2022 at age 56, surrounded by the family he cherished. True to his selfless nature, his final acts reflected the same commitment he'd always shown: securing a permit for the next year's parade and handing the torch to Bobbi, his friend of many years, so the celebration could continue without missing a beat. He gave until he could not give anymore. His obituary called him "someone who went above and beyond in everything he was involved with in the Adrian community." Teresa offers her own description: "If I could sum it up in a phrase, he was a walking angel on this earth."

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His passing left a void, but also a clear path forward. Chico's beloved friends and family came together to pick up the work he had carried and officially formalized the celebration committee as a nonprofit bearing his name. They also established an annual scholarship program for Hispanic students from Adrian and Lenawee County, extending Chico's impact into the future and creating pathways for others to serve as he did.

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Each May, when Adrian's streets fill with parade-goers and the fairgrounds come alive with music and dancing, Chico's influence remains tangible. The celebration he nurtured continues drawing hundreds who come together across backgrounds and generations, and the welcoming spirit he insisted upon still defines the event. What Chico built endures because he built it on principles that transcend any single person: generosity, selflessness, and the transformative power of bringing people together.