2014 National Puerto Rican Day Parade Will Honor Education, Arts And Culture

The revitalized organization announces schedule of events, dedications, partnerships, main office relocation and other important changes in preparation for landmark cultural celebration


The 19th Annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade (57th Puerto Rican Day Parade of New York) will take place on Sunday, June 8th at 11am on New York's Fifth Avenue. The event will be broadcast live on WNYW Fox 5. This year's parade will commemorate the centennial birthday of Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos, and will be dedicated to the soldiers of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as The Borinqueneers. The featured municipalities of this year's celebration will be the town of Guánica (63 miles southwest of San Juan, population 19,000), in commemoration of the centennial of its founding, and the city of Chicago, home to one of the largest Puerto Rican communities on the U.S. mainland.

Following a recent meeting of the organization's new and expanded Board, the Parade's organizers also announced the schedule of events leading up to the 2014 Parade:

Educational Leadership Banquet - Wednesday, May 21st
152nd Street Cultural Festival - Saturday, May 31st
Annual Parade Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral - Sunday, June 1st
Annual Gala at the Marriott Marquis - Friday, June 6th

"On Sunday, June 8th, all roads lead to New York City, for the largest celebration of Puerto Rican pride and culture in the world", said Orlando Plaza of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade. "We'd like to thank New Yorkers, the people of Puerto Rico, and others from around the globe for their enthusiastic support in our mandate to keep this iconic tradition alive."

The board also announced these additional milestones for the success of the upcoming Parade:

Headquarters for the parade has relocated to 145 W. 15th Street, 7th Floor, in Manhattan, obtained in-kind. The Board voted unanimously to terminate the lease in The Bronx, so that the funds previously allocated for rent can be used for parade operations.

A new website was launched, providing the latest information on the 2014 Parade and related events. Visit www.NPRDPinc.org for regular updates and applications for parade participation.

The board also announced that advancing educational achievement is a priority, with 10% of all net proceeds from the parade going to a scholarship fund. The goal for 2014 is to award up to $30,000 in scholarships, up from $10,000 in previous years.

In response to a request to make participation in the Parade more accessible to more individuals and organizations in the community, parade application fees have been restructured, from $500 to a range of $50 to $500.

source: NPRDP

Julia and Me

"yo soy la vida, la fuerza, la mujer". ("I am life, and strength, and I am woman.") -- Julia de Burgos

(photo by Milagros Gonzalez)

PRSUN Social

Updates are being made to our social media outlets. This PRSUN blog is on hiatus. To stay connected, like our FB page at http://facebook.com/clariselmedia or follow @prsun. Thank you.

Bxbiz Holiday Network and Toy Drive

The Bronx Entrepreneurs and Business Network (BEBN) Toy Drive will go to benefit kids and teens living in Bronx shelters. Our chosen charity is Bronx Works who will distribute the toys. Our toy drive runs until December 12, the night of the BEBN Holiday Network and Toy Drive event at El Habanero Restaurant, the Bronx.

Happy Puerto Rico Sun Communications Day in the Bronx

The Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. proclaimed July 20 as Puerto Rico Sun Communications Day in the Bronx. We are celebrating our 10th anniversary and network tomorrow night at Joe's Place in the Parkchester section of the Bronx. You are welcome to celebrate with us. To RSVP, http://prsun10.eventbrite.com.

Thank you for being part of the PRSUN network.

-- Clarisel

Our bright yellow sun logo is in celebration of our 10th anniversary.

UPDATE: NYC Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera proclaimed July 21, 2012 as Puerto Rico Sun Communications Day. ) Mayor Bloomberg sent a letter.

Community members to be honored as PRSUN Ambassadors

PRSUN Ambassador Award recipients:

Rev. Carmen Hernández, NYC LGBTQS Chamber of Commerce

Ismael Nuñez, contributing writer and photographer

Cecil Harris, advisor

Jose Boricuation Medina, contributing graphic designer

Mike Callender, Bronxmedia

Kevin P. Tyson, contributing photographer

Eileen McNamee, contributing photographer

Miriam Quiñones, contributing photographer

Vivian Lake, contributing writer

Efrain Ortiz, Jr., Efrain's Corner

For supporting and advancing PRSUN's business and social mission of informing, empowering, and building community through their contributions and friendship

The PRSUN Ambassadors will receive their awards at the PRSUN anniversary and networking event this Saturday in the Bronx. Event is open to the public. To RSVP, http://prsun10.eventbrite.com.

Meet the PRSUN Award Winners

Complete list of 2012 PRSUN Award Winners:

Dayanara Marte, In Bold Rebirth

Trini Quiroz, activist/radio personality

Joyce Rivera, St. Ann's Corner of Harm Reduction

Edwin Pagán, Latin Horror

Roberto Soto, City Island Images

Shannon Lee Gilstad, Bronx Movers & Shakers

Julio Pabon, Latino Sports

Michelle Cruz, East Harlem Cafe

Butch Nieves, Mr. America's Personal Training

Deirdre Scott, Bronx Council on the Arts

Congratulations to all the leaders on this list. They were nominated by members in the PRSUN social media networks for being examples of people who exemplify the mission of informing, empowering, and building community. 

They will be honored at the PRSUN anniversary and networking event on Saturday, July 21, at Joe's Place, the Bronx. Event is open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, http://prsun10.eventbrite.com.

PRSUN Photo Team's Eileen McNamee at the PR Day Parade

This was the second year Eileen McNamee covered the National Puerto Rican Day Parade as part of the PRSUN photo team.
Our team was working on a photo project to document the 2012 parade through the lens of a diverse team of photographers and photojournalists. This was the third year PRSUN curated an online group exhibit. All team members received official press passes from the National Puerto Rican Day Parade to cover the June 10 parade from their perspective for PRSUN.
Eileen is a science teacher. She says she has found creativity between the arts and sciences. Her photography is mostly from the Bronx where she lives. She especially enjoys concentrating on the nature and history of the Bronx. But from time to time, she likes to go out to document a colorful parade.
View Eileen's beautiful photos from the parade here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmcnamee/sets/72157630068897849/with/7359927392/

To view the PRSUN photo team's exhibit from this year's parade, go to
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nyprparade12.

Most of Eileen's photography and art work is at

http://emmcnamee.com

Our own soul

Pensamientos

the daily news

printed the cuban

flag instead

of the puerto rican

flag

in their piece

we must be our

own soul if we

have our own

flag
-- Samaris Ayala

Samaris Ayala is a contributing writer to PRSUN. 

@ the PR Parade

Here is a slideshow of photos I took at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, one of the largest cultural celebrations in the city:



Enjoy.

Photos from the Bronx PR Day Parade

PRSUN had a photo team at yesterday's Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade. Happy 25th anniversary to the Bronx parade.

The PRSUN photo team included Kevin Tyson, Miriam Quiñones, Benny Betancourt, Ismael Nuñez, and moi.

Here is a link to the photos I took at the parade:


To view the team PRSUN Project: Bronx Puerto Rican Day slideshow go to:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/bxprparade/

Bronx Entrepreneurs and Business Network: A Night at the Races

Bronx Entrepreneurs and Business Network: A Night at the Races: Our upcoming networking event with The NetWorks Organization is TOMORROW night at Yonkers Raceway/Empire City Casino. The Bronx Entrepreneur...

'Rebirth of a Queen'

"Congratulations on being an honoree! We look forward to celebrating your fierceness and powerful way of being in the world; reading the kind and wonderful words that your nominator sent us has filled us with hope that our community will continue to persevere because of womyn like you!" -- Carmen Mojica, program director, Casa Atabex Ache - The House of Womyn's Power, the Bronx




Tomorrow I will proudly be among the honorees at this event that celebrates women who are empowering communities and overcoming obstacles in their personal and professional life. It is appropriately titled the "Rebirth of a Queen."

The event is Casa Atabex Ache's 7th Annual Womyn Warriors Awards Ceremony & Celebration, and it will be from 6 to 10 p.m. tomorrow at Casabe Houses, 150 East 121 Street, East Harlem. 

If you want to attend, contact Monique De La Oz at mdelaoz@gmail.com for tickets, which are $25 in advance, $35 at the door.

UPDATE: Here is a link to the photos from this event: http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel/sets/72157629967142805/