11:00am | Long Beach City Councilmember Robert Garcia and the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) announced that the Molina Family will serve as Grand Marshal, and local artist Gregorio Luke will be honored as Community Marshal at the 3rd Annual Latin American Parade & Festival on Saturday, September 10, 2011.
“We are honored to recognize the incredible talent, enthusiasm and commitment of the Molina Family and Gregorio Luke to Long Beach,” said Garcia. “Their contributions in the areas of Healthcare, Business, Philanthropy and the Arts are a model for our community.”
The Molina Family founded Molina Healthcare with the mission to help the uninsured, non-English speaking, or low income receive healthcare. They are extremely involved in the local community and are active in charity work. They’ve been a valued asset to Downtown Long Beach and the entire City of Long Beach.
Local artist Gregorio Luke is an expert on Mexican and Latin American art and culture. As the former Director of the Museum of Latin American Art, former Consul of Cultural Affairs of Mexico in Los Angeles and the First Secretary of the Embassy of Mexico in Washington D.C, Luke is a much respected and appreciated community member.
“This event is a wonderful celebration of Latin American culture,” said DLBA Board member and Event Chair, Hilda Sanchez. “We are thrilled to be able to honor the Molina Family and Gregorio Luke for their significant contributions to the Latin American community and to the Long Beach community as a whole.”
This past July the Council Member and DLBA called for marshal nominations, inviting members of the public to submit names of outstanding and deserving individuals with a high level of dedication to the Latin American community and to the citizens of Long Beach.
The marshals will participate in the event on September 10. Kicking off at 3p.m. with a Parade that starts at Pine Avenue and 6th Street, the Parade route will end at 4th Street and The Promenade. There the Festival will include arts, live music, performances, dancing, delicious authentic Latin America cuisine, a children’s activity area and more.
For more information about the Latin American Parade & Festival, please call (562) 436-4259 or visit www.downtownlongbeach.org.
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