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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