Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958, Jennifer Chait (212) 788-8479
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani welcomed members of New York City's West Indian American community to Gracie Mansion this evening to celebrate the upcoming West Indian American Day Carnival and Parade, which will take place on Brooklyn's Eastern Parkway on Labor Day, September 7. At the reception the Mayor also designated the week of September 3 - 7 as "West Indian American Carnival Parade Week" in New York City and presented a proclamation to West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) President Carlos Lezama.
"West Indians have a long, proud history in our City," Mayor Giuliani said. "And their influence in the civic life of our City has grown as their numbers have increased. The three quarters of a million West Indians who now make their home in New York City, and their values of faith and family, work and fun, have transformed neighborhoods and enriched our City's culture and economy."
"The five-day West Indian American Carnival and Parade is one of the City's largest and oldest cultural festivals," the Mayor continued. "As a celebration, it is unmatched. And with each passing year, more and more people turn out to the point where now, more than two million people join together to celebrate. People come from all over the country and all over the world to recognize the contributions of the West Indian Americans, to celebrate West Indian culture and to simply have fun in the most diverse City on earth."
Also joining the Mayor at the reception were Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington and Stanley Browne, Member of the Board of Directors, Caribbean American Center of New York. Awards were presented to Guinness Import Company President Stewart Fletcher and Heineken District Sales Manager Charles Ancrum. The evening also included a performance by the Despers USA Steele Orchestra.