Actress Rose Perez  will make two appearances in Tampa on Saturday to campaign for Barack Obama.

First, she'll stop by Casa Obama, 3303 W. Columbus Drive, at 11:30 a.m. along with Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez from New York.

The appearances cap a morning of canvassing by Obama volunteers in Hillsborough's largely Hispanic neighborhoods.

"Every Saturday until the election we're going to be doing this. We think that's an important electorate," said state Rep. Michael Scionti, whose district includes West Tampa and Town 'n Country.

"Florida is so close and if we get a little bit of an edge from Hispanic voters, it can put us over the top," said Vic DiMaio, an Obama volunteer. "If it turns out to be a close election, the Hispanic outreach could make all the difference in the world."

At 1:30 p.m., Perez will speak at the Festival del Sabor in Ybor City's Centennial Park. The festival celebrates Ybor's Hispanic heritage with food and live entertainment.

Janet Zink, Times Staff Writer