 Please welcome the commissioner for the Department for the Aging, Lorraine Cortez Vazquez. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, my people. How are you? Welcome to your house. But I'm going to ask you to pay a little attention. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. Thank you. Thank you to the people's house. I have, I need your attention for four minutes. Then you can talk to each other, party and do what you do well. I have the distinct honor of introducing someone who always opens his home to us as a community. Settle down to introduce you to someone who loves to open his house as the people's house. And that is none other than the mayor, Edward Adams and Eric Adams. I can't believe I did that. Eric Adams. Eric Adams has made a commitment to transform this city from the bottom up and also from the top down. He's made a commitment that this is a city that is going to break barriers, is all inclusive and also high, Stephen, and also the most important thing that he's done is to get things done. He's a disruptor and a builder and we're very fortunate because if you can see behind me, his administration is an administration that is inclusive and involves all. And you can't be listening to me if you're talking. And I'm going to ask you to stop talking because in a minute we're going to bring the man of the hour, our mayor, Eric Adams, here to say bienvenida y gracias por venir a mi casa. Mayor Adams. Because it says two lines that I love. One, you can tell by my attitude I'm from New York. Two, I would be hood forever, forever, you know. And I want to thank Lorraine, I see my brother Mike Nieves over in the back. Relationship, I've had a commissioner of department of agent and amazing things she's doing. When I came on as the mayor, I just really wanted to convince her to stay. And I was so happy when she did. She has been with me so many years. And she is a pioneer for the Puerto Rican community. And you need to really just show us some love. Unbelievable. When you look, you are just really seeing a reflection of people who have spent so many years fighting on behalf of the Puerto Rican community and their commitment and dedication. You know, Tony and Tony Miranda, who's now the sheriff helping us clean up the illegal weed spots. His days from the National Latino Officers Association. And you can just go down the list for my bar president, the borrower, the Bronx, where my brother is doing, Adolfo Carrion is now in charge of HBD. These are important areas where you are seeing leadership from the community. And we're breaking barriers. We are doing things that have never been done before. And don't believe the hype. Because you have a brother in the department of correction of Puerto Rican ancestry. My man, the commissioner of DOC is unbelievable what he is doing in the department of correction. Unbelievable. You know, for years the department of correction prior to Commissioner Molina arrival, for years the place has been a mess, a mess. Now you look at the violence is down, the place is cleaner. We just rolled out today to give those inmates who are going home, we're giving them contact to services with cell phones and the correction health facilities. His innovation and his vision is changing the department of correction. And so what we have done in 18 months to fix the mess of generations, now people are trying to critique, acting like he's not making real improvements. Trust me when I tell you, when this Puerto Rican brother became commissioner, he started focusing on improving those jails in a manner that no one has done in the history of those jails. And I thank you for doing that. And check this out, check this out. In correction offices, more than history of this city, in the history of this city. And so, not only do you travel to Puerto Rico during the terrible hurricane, but partnering with Congresswoman Nitya Velasquez when the mayor has another ask to get items like sanitation trucks and using our resources to get them to Puerto Rico. There's a rich relationship here. People say that New York Puerto Rico is the sixth borough of New York. I say no, New York is the sixth borough of Puerto Rico. New York is the San Juan of America. You look into the history and the success of this city, you will see over and over again the role that the Puerto Rican community has played and how they insured and fortified everything that's great about the city. You are as New York, as New York has ever been. And we know that. And marching up Fifth Avenue with you the other day, so much pride of just watching us bring that energy onto Fifth Avenue and showing the richness of the community. From teachers to those in law enforcement, to those who are business leaders, those who are leaderships and parts of this administration over and over again. But trust me when I tell you, I have a few more Puerto Rican firsts that are going to take place in the city. I got some real stuff that we get ready to roll out. We have just begun to start this real initiative. You are going to be proud, all 700,000 of you that live in this city because of you. Because of your support. Because of, you said, this guy is one of us. This guy is one of us. And when I sit down and talk to my nephew, Stephen Cruz and Sean Cruz, and I sit down and talk to my family members, we see the intersectionality of what your community wants and what we are delivering every day. Because we have the same thing in mind. You believe in family. You believe in education. You believe in children. You believe in business. And you believe in public safety. You know we deserve to live safe in our community and to prosper in our community. So it doesn't matter where you live. You can live in the mighty Boogie Down Bronx with the Borough President Vanessa Gibson or the legendary Ruben Diaz Jr. Or you can see some of the great councilpersons like Councilman Salamanca. Your leadership is everywhere in this city and continue to grow and prosper as we move forward. These are important times for all of us. We must make sure that we lift up those who provided and put the spirit in the city. So as we celebrate Riqua and the community that it represents and all that it brings, I cannot tell you welcome to your house, the people house. Those of you who are here for the first time, please come often. Those of you who came here single, please find yourself a boo so that you will have some fun. You know, enjoy the spirit and the energy that this city has to offer. But we want to lift up some of our heroes as we celebrate this important day. My girl Valerie from CAU, no one works harder. She's going to bring up some of our fees and say thank you. But as we look ahead, as we look ahead, we have to look at those early pioneers. We got to look at the young lords, the Pablo Guzman's. We got to look at the Jani Cegares that's here. That's stood side by side with David Dinkins and his body person. We got to look at those early Puerto Rican fighters. They really paved the way for all of us. And don't ever forget that. Young people who are here, you are not where you are because you are the smartest, the brightest, the most popular. You are where you are because there were Puerto Ricans who were willing to stand up and fight for you to be able to have the opportunities that you had. Never forget them. Never forget those early fighters and what they were able to accomplish. I know them. I read about them. I met them. I saw how well they did. We built what we did based on the energy and the spirit of the early African-Americans, the early Indian-Americans, the early Irish, the early Italians, the early people that came here and fought to say that we too deserve what America has to offer. No one personifies that more than the Puerto Rican community. And so I want to bring Valerie up so we can honor some of those heroes and sheroes. Thank you. Thank you Mayor Puerto Rican Spirit, the New York Spirit, and that make us all proud every day. Our first honoree is Darlene Rodriguez. She needs no introduction but she is the co-anchor of NBC4's Today in New York. Thank you Darlene. Thank you so much Mayor Adams. It's so nice to see somebody from Brooklyn, really from Brooklyn standing here giving us these awards. We appreciate it. You know I flew in from Puerto Rico yesterday and it feels like this over there. This happens to you guys but I felt like all Latinos were Puerto Rican. And then I grew up and realized that that wasn't the case. Our small island, 100 by 35, 3 million people has produced some of the most incredible, stellar, accomplished people in this country. I couldn't be more proud. We have the number one streaming artist in the world right now. We have world sport players right now. We have an acting commissioner of the NYPD. We support each other, lift each other up. That's what it's all about because as we say, if you don't reach that hand back behind you and help somebody, then why are we here? So thank you very much. Thank you Mayor Adams. We appreciate it. Thank you. The next honoree is the super-middle weight WBO and ABO champion Edgar the Chozing One Berlanga. How's everybody doing tonight? Man, this is a blessing. I want to thank my load and savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity. And I want to thank Mayor Adams for the opportunity to be here with my Puerto Rican people and celebrating once again. I just fought June 24th at Madison Square Garden. We got the victory. Almost knocked them out in the 12th round. But I just want to thank everybody that's here today. It's a big day for the Puerto Ricans. We're going for that Canelo fight soon. And soon to be world champion, just coming out of Puerto Rico. I want to thank everybody. Love you guys. And I want to thank the NYPD in New York City for everything you guys have done. My people, the Hispanic society in the back right there, man. Thank you guys. And que viva Puerto Rico como siempre. I love you guys. Thank you. Carmen Cruz, the founder of the silent procession NYC for Puerto Rico. I am so honored to be in the company of so many great people here today. So it's a privilege and thank you for the recognition and the opportunity to share the stage and honor with the others. And of course, we must continue to raise awareness and educate the public on all the critical issues that Puerto Rico is confronted by. So we cannot allow for people to not understand and we must demand, you know, the support of everyone. And the diaspora here, you know, Mayor Adams has been a great supporter since 2018. And I'm so grateful for that. Okay. So que viva Puerto Rico y que dio la bendiga a todos. My name is Antonia Clemente, the founder and executive director of the Healing Center. Yes, Marcia. Muy buenas tardes, buenas noches, mi gente. Con ustedes esta noche, Mayor Adams, I want to thank you. I met Mayor Adams when he first became Borough President at a meeting at Health First. So I want to thank you for this honor. It's un placer de estar aquí esta noche, but for me, this honor is really about my people. This honor is about mi comunidad. This honor is about the people at the ground level, the people who get up every day, the people who fight for our community, the people who fight for justice in our communities, the people who make our communities a better and safe place. So while I am here, it's for mi gente, because it's my people that makes a difference. And for you that are out there, I do the work around domestic violence and gender-based violence. There is no room for domestic violence in nuestra comunidad latina. So for those who know somebody, please find the help for them. Thank you y que disfruten la noche mi gente bella de Puerto Rico. So we just want to finish up with just acknowledging our amazing folks on the stage. Give it up. Just give them all some love. My brother, Councilman Salamanca, Acting Commissioner Eddie Caban, Adolfo Carrion, the lovely Lorraine Cortez Vazquez, Vilda Mayuga, Commissioner of Department of Consumer and Roque's Protection Anthony Miranda, Luis Molina, Edanus Rodriguez, Jasmine Ray, the first sports star. His first Puerto Rican sports star, Jose. My brother in charge of ethnic media services, I'm not sure if Jose is here. But the entire team, if I got anyone, I love you. Let's keep moving forward. Viva Puerto Rico!