The 21st Annual Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade will be held on Sunday, May 17, at noon by conferring Special Honors on print and television reporters Irv Gikovsky of WPIX, Audrey Puente of WWOR (Channel 9), Darlene Rodriguez of WNBC TV, and Jorge Ramos of Telemundo Channel 47, and a special honor to Rossana Rosado, publisher of El Diario-La Prensa for her pioneer, trail blazing spirit.
Very special honors for Lifetime Achievement will go to Izzy Sanabria, the founder of Latin New York Magazine, a popular pioneer-monthly magazine that heralded the Salsa music era in the 1960s and 70s, long before it went mainstream. Sanabria will reportedly come to the Parade from his home in Florida. Sanabria is also being considered for a Life Achievement Award by the Grammys.
Venerable Harlem Congressman Charles B. Rangel will also receive special honors for lifetime achievement as the beloved native son. Rangel is the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a high school student, Rangel attended DeWitt Clinton High School. He also represents a small segment of the south Bronx as a member of Congress.
Pedro Morales, the former World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion will also be recognized as a trailblazer of professional wrestling from the 1960s and 70s, and as the first Puerto Rican ever, to win a major World Heavyweight title. Morales, a native of Culebra, Puerto Rico, was the World Champion from February, 1971 until December, 1973. He retired from pro-wrestling in 1986.
Gikovsky is a native Bronxite, and a longtime popular fixture on the weather segment of WPIX Channel 11, and on WCBS FM radio. Jody Concepción, photo journalist for the Bronx Times Reporter will also be honored for her unique photography in covering Bronx events. This year’s parade is anticipated to be well attended by more spectators than at any time prior to this year’s event. Parade founder Angle Rios and parade president Francisco Gonzalez pledge the parade will For information call (718) 823-3034 or (718) 213-1959.
