The Mariachi Kids with (l to r) BizHack Academy Lead Instructor Giovanni Insignares, BizHack Academy Founder Dan Grech, Mexican American Council CEO Eddie Garza, and Mexican American Council Board Vice President Rolando Gasca at the Mexican American Council fundraiser on September 23, 2018.

Eddie Garza, CEO of the Mexican American Council, is a longtime advocate for the children of migrant farm workers in Homestead -- and as of this summer, also an advocate for the power of digital marketing. Garza spearheads the organization's annual fundraising event for its Mariachi Academy for kids, and he took Miami-based BizHack Academy's "Fundamentals of Digital Marketing" class over the summer to dramatically increase ticket sales for this year's fundraiser. Under the guidance of BizHack instructors, Eddie used a combination of Facebook ads, email marketing and landing pages to more than double the number of tickets sold and funds raised. His hard work paid off. The fundraiser, held this past Sunday at the Florida Marlins closing home game and featuring the Mariachi kids singing during the 7th Inning Stretch, raised more than $6,000 for the after-school music program -- a 170% increase from last year's $2,225. The proceeds will be used to help cover the costs of the program, which serves 45 children of farmworkers in Homestead.

"This fundraising effort far exceeded even our wildest expectations," said Garza, the son of migrant farmworkers who founded the Council. "I now understand the power of social media marketing to raise our profile and raise money, and we plan to use the tactics and strategies learned at BizHack in everything we do."

BizHack Academy featured Eddie Garza as a graduation speaker in August, and BizHack founder Dan Grech was at Sunday's event to celebrate the extraordinary accomplishment. "Eddie came in wanting to double ticket sales, and through hard work and smart marketing, he surpassed his ambitious goal," said Dan Grech, the founder of BizHack Academy. "These needed funds will help some extraordinary children learn about music, performance, and Mexican culture. It's the honor of a lifetime to help organizations like the Mexican American Council reach their full potential."

BizHack Academy provides digital marketing training to business owners and professionals. Since 2015, BizHack has offered in-person courses and workshops in Miami in digital advertising, analytics, strategy and storytelling to more than 300 top businesses and corporations, including NBCUniversal, Univision, Royal Caribbean, Whirlpool, Wells Fargo and Novartis. For more information, visit www.bizhack.co. BizHack Academy Facebook & Instagram: @bizhackco

Founded in 1990, the Mexican American Council (MAC) is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the advancement of farmworker youth through education and the arts, and an advocate for civil and human rights everywhere. For more information, visit www.mexamcouncil.org. Mexican American Council Facebook & Instagram: @mexamcouncil