Contact: Colleen Roche/Samantha Lugo (212) 788-2958
"Today New York celebrates Puerto Rican heritage and the important contributions that generations of Puerto Ricans have made to the richness and diversity of our great City," Mayor Giuliani said. "Their talents and culture, devotion to family and hard work have helped make New York the Capital of the World."
"The strength of New York's connection with Puerto Rico was evident once again in the compassion and generosity that New Yorkers showed towards the island in the aftermath of Hurricane Georges. I want to thank each and every one of the City employees, volunteers and sponsors who participated in the relief effort, and the three people we are honoring with the City's Crystal Apple today for their special commitment to the recovery of the island," the Mayor added.
The Mayor was joined by Deputy Mayor Ninfa Segarra and "Comité Noviembre" President and Puerto Rican Heritage Month Chair Teresa Santiago in honoring the City agencies involved in Hurricane Georges relief and presenting the Crystal Apple Award to three honorees for their contributions to the relief effort:
Marc Anthony, Actor, Latin Music and Broadway Star - For performing the first benefit concert to aid Hurricane victims at Madison Square Garden.
Lorraine Cortes-Vasquez, Hispanic Federation President - For organizing on-going relief efforts in the Latino community, including a major telethon at Hostos Community College, and collecting donations from individuals in coordination with Banco Popular de Puerto Rico.
José Luis Rodríguez, Hispanic Information & Telecommunications Network, Inc. President - For producing a six-week long series of television news programming in Spanish to inform the Latino community of the status of relief efforts in New York City and Puerto Rico.
Deputy Mayor Segarra said, "It is only fitting that during this special time when we celebrate Puerto Rican Heritage Month, we also recognize the love and affection that our City has again shown for our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico. I want to extend my thanks to the Mayor, the City agencies involved in the relief effort and the thousands of New Yorkers who so generously gave to make our relief effort a true success. "
"Comité Noviembre" (November Committee) was established in 1987 and includes Aspira of New York, the Association of Hispanic Arts, El Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños, El Museo del Barrio, the National Congress of Puerto Rican Rights, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration. Thanks to their efforts, the Puerto Rican Heritage Month is officially celebrated throughout the nation. This year, Puerto Rican Heritage Month is celebrating its twelfth anniversary with the theme "Puerto Ricans Confronting the Challenges of a Changing World."
The Puerto Rican Heritage Month event was sponsored by the Bell Atlantic Foundation, Anheuser Busch, Bacardí Martini USA, Inc., Banana Republic, Balloon-A-Grams of New York, Bloomingdale's, Coca Cola Bottling Company of New York, El Rey de Los Castillos De Jagua Restaurant, Hilary's Heavenly Desserts, the Hispanic Federation, Pocket Full of Posies, Inc., Salsa Caterers, the Schering Plough Corporation and Victory Foods.