Society of Spain Announces First Annual Pedro Menendez Awards Gala and Dinner
Online, October 13, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Washington, DC - On the evening of Monday, October 19, the Society of Spain (SoS) will host its first annual Pedro Menendez Awards Gala and Dinner. During the event, which will be held at La Taberna del Albardero, three awards will be presented to members of the Washington, DC community to honor them for the tremendous work they have done to further Spain-DC relations here in the DC area.
The Pioneer Award will be presented to Alberto Avendaño, Associate Publisher and Editor in Chief of El Tiempo Latino. The Menendez Pioneer Award recognizes Spaniards who are pioneers in their respective fields, and have over the years made a positive contribution to the Washington, DC area's culture, commerce, and/or education.
The Friend of Spain Award will be presented to Don Harris, founder and owner of La Tienda. The Menendez Friend of Spain Award honors individuals who live and work in the Washington, DC area and have demonstrated through their work a special commitment to promoting Spain and Spanish culture here in the United States. Jose Andres, chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup, the creative team behind DC restaurants such as Cafe Atlantico, Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel, will present this award.
The Amigo de España Award will be presented to Ana Margarita Chávez, Consul General of El Salvador. The Menendez Amigo de España Award honors individuals from the Latin American community who live and work in the Washington, DC area and have demonstrated through their work a special commitment to and appreciation of Spain and its culture. This award will be presented by Alvaro de Salas Gimenez de Azcarate, Consul General of Spain.
Patrick Gannon, Founder and President of the Society of Spain, said of the honorees, "We are honored to be able to recognize these outstanding individuals for all they've done over the years to promote Spain and its culture here in the nation's capital. This dinner will be a great expression of that appreciation and a fitting way to celebrate, in wonderful Spanish style, all of their hard work. We look forward to working with them to continue to build on their success and help increase the presence of Spain in the Washington DC area."
The three Menendez awards are named in honor of the sixteenth century Spanish naval officer and explorer, Admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the first European known to have sailed any distance up the Potomac River-the place where Washington D.C.'s history itself begins. After his exploration along the Potomac, Admiral Menendez later went on to found St. Augustine, Florida-the first permanent European settlement and oldest port city in the continental United States.
For more information, or to obtain press passes to this event, please contact:
Holly Cowan (English)
(201)320-2135
holly.cowan@societyofspain.org
Diana Molineaux (Español)
(304)582-4297
diana.molineaux@societyofspain.org
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