RESOLUTION NO. 030566

Designating May 9-10, 2003, as Fiesta in the Heartland, A Celebration of Cinco De Mayo.

WHEREAS, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City will celebrate Cinco De Mayo at Liberty Memorial Park. Cinco De Mayo, The Fifth Of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexicans over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862; and

WHEREAS, The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City was founded in 1977 by 25 Hispanic business leaders who envisioned an organization that represents their interests before the public and private sectors. The organization developed a network that provides Hispanic businesses with cohesion and strength while promoting economic growth and development of its member businesses and the community they serve. The Chamber has worked to develop its members and promote relationships between Hispanic and non-Hispanic businesses in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area; and

WHEREAS, Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States totaled 1.2 million firms, employing over 1.3 million people according to the Commerce Department's Census Bureau with Hispanic-owned firms making up 6 percent of the 20.8 million nonfarm businesses in the nation and 1 percent of the $18.6 trillion in receipts for all businesses; and

WHEREAS, the Hispanic population grew to 37 million in July 2001, up 4.7 percent from April 2000 with the Hispanic purchasing power to hit $1 trillion by 2007, according to coinciding reports by Arizona State University and the University of Georgias Selig Center; and

WHEREAS, the Chamber has chosen to reintroduce the Cinco de Mayo celebration to Kansas City with the vision of promoting its members and business community, while uniting cultures in a citywide event. The event will feature live entertainment, traditional Mexican food, arts and crafts, folkloric dancing, a salsa dance off, and Tex-Mex entertainment; and

WHEREAS, the Chamber has invited the Mattie Rhodes Center to partner in this celebration by hosting a childrens venue called the Mattie Rhodes Village with an open playground for children to participate in visual art activities, live entertainment, a magician, and other child appropriate activities; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

That the Mayor and Council hereby designate May 9-10, 2003, as Fiesta in the Heartland, a celebration in honor of Cinco De Mayo; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be spread upon the Minutes of the Council in testimony thereof and that a copy hereof be presented to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City and Mattie Rhodes Center with the Mayor and Council calling on the people of Kansas City, Missouri to join with all children, families, organizations, communities, churches, cities, and states across the nation to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies

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