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Bronx, NY – On Thursday, November 14, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson joined Bronx Care Health System, Ponce Bank, Fidelis Care, and ProHealth Connect to host her Puerto Heritage Month event at the newly opened 14,000-square-foot, 250-seat Bronx Music Hall located at 438 East 163rd Street in the Melrose section. There, Borough President Gibson honored several Bronx pioneers and architects of a revitalized and flourishing Bronx, now serving as a cultural mecca attracting thousands of tourists and New Yorkers alike traveling in to enjoy the rich heritage, cuisine, and burgeoning arts community found in New York City’s northern-most borough. Twenty-three-time Emmy award-winning Telemundo Anchor and Reporter David Rodriguez, who spent part of his childhood growing up in the Bronx, served as the emcee.
“It is with immense pride that we celebrate Puerto Rican Heritage Month at the newly opened Bronx Music Hall, honoring individuals who have left an indelible impact on our borough,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “Our communities have thrived thanks to the extraordinary contributions of our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters, and we are honored to recognize and celebrate that vibrant legacy right here in the heart of the Boogie Down.”
This year’s honorees are Puerto Rican-born community advocate and Founder of the Rainbow Garden of Life + Health, Maximino “Maxi” Rivera; Culinary Educator & Celebrity Chef, Chef Billy Jack Perez; Crain’s New York Business’s 2021 Most Notable Women on Wall Street, Executive Vice-President and Chief External Affairs Officer at Ponce Bank, Madelyn V. Marquez, Co-Talent Coordinator for The 116th Street Festival, Jerry Vargas, Bronx Business owner and Philanthropist, Gino Pacheco, and youth honoree, Ambar Cardona, a junior enrolled at Bronx Legacy’s Future Ready NYC Business Marketing program.
The event featured the Young Ambition Dance Company, Estrellita’s Latinas Culturales from P.S. 42, NYPD Options Youth Program’s La Jara Youth All Stars, Kaila Bule y Atabeira Libete Our Art curator, Robert “BC” Figueroa, a reading by Puerto Rican Poet Jennifer Diaz, and more.
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