Outstanding Guyanese to be honoured at special ceremony in NY

The Guyana Tri-State Alliance, in collaboration with The Consulate General of the Republic of Guyana, New York and the Permanent Mission of the Guyana to the United Nations, will celebrate the Guyanese nation’s 45th Independence anniversary on Wednesday, June 22 with a special evening and appreciation ceremony.

The event, dubbed “A taste of Guyana”, will be held at Brooklyn Borough Hall, Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

Ms Patricia Jordon-Langford, members of the Guyana Tri-State Alliance, and the Guyana Consulate General have, over the past seventeen years, consistently celebrated Guyana’s Independence by honouring outstanding Guyanese who have distinguished themselves in numerous ways, according to a release from the Guyana Tri-State Alliance Inc.

“This year we pay tribute to those individuals who, through the years, have been ambassadors for our country, flying our flag with honour and pride by their many endeavours of distinguished and empowering leadership due to the many facets of their accomplishments and contributions”, the release stated.

Among the recipients of the special honour are community philanthropist Rick Chetram; humanitarian Vibert Bernard; actress and advocate for preservation of Guyanese culture Rose October-Edun; Patrick and Paul Haynes of the Haynes Foundation in Guyana; Ms Taruna Sardoo — advocate for educating women and children in Guyana and around the globe; Pandit Suresh Sugrim; Dr John Mitchell of Health and Education Relief for Guyana (HERG), advocate for family health and prevention of infant mortality; Ngozi Moses, photojournalist of The Washington Post; and Nikki Kahn and Mohamed A Hassim, who have been noted as key figures in keeping the diaspora connected.

Kahn, who was born in Georgetown, Guyana, won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Photography. She moved to Washington, D.C., where she studied at the American University and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in visual media and art history in May 1996.

The special observance is free admittance and is sponsored by the speaker of the event, Christine C.Quinn, Councilman the Honourable Dr Mathieu Eugene, and the Honourable Marty Markowitz, President of the Brooklyn Borough.