 Long live me. Thank you so much We like to present to you our rendition of two of our patriotic songs. Our nation is born by vibrating skates and St. Vincent's my homeland. I love you by all's dr. Allstone Beckett Cyrus So 70 for a musical performance is today I'd like to welcome back up Arthur Pickler pick a low from the Bully Green Association before the mayor arrived as I already mentioned the world here Changed on January 1st of this year and it changed because Eric Adams became my mayor There's more history here than any place else, but this is a new chapter of history We have been raising flags here since 1996 No mayor ever before Eric Adams ever accepted an invitation to come and join us This mayor has already been here 15 times and over the next four years I'll be back again and get the great mayor of the city of New York Eric Adams. Thank you You know there there are more than one way to say You are welcome You can verbalize it, but do you actualize it? Do you visibly look at the symbols that show respect to the various communities? That make up the city of New York This is a city of not only a people who Have generations But a city of those who come here From various islands various countries to state that they want to make New York City their home And when we raise the flag here at Bowling Green the cornerstone of our financial strength and power We are saying to you that we respect you we see you and you are contributors to this amazing city We call New York. I remember clearly during COVID when people were social distancing and staying at home and Did not want to come out. It was the emerging immigrant populations that kept this city running Immigrants don't need New York. New York need the immigrant communities of the city And no one personifies that more than st. Vincent and the granada When I was in st. Vincent and when I was in granada Up at anondales falls and granada and beach and just looking at the energy of our caribbean Diaspora is a contribution to this great country and particularly this great city and all of it ends and start in the borough of brooklyn And That is the mecca in the homeland And you have displayed a level of resiliency and just having you here today I was so proud to see Of at our flag raising when you have the ambassador A luan guild christ in denis francis We want to thank you for being here and what it means to be right here in the capital Of the st. Vincent community Right here in the city of new york. We also want to thank the general council general That's here ronde macintosh as well as my commissioners commission of murmur sting and My commissioner of mayor office of immigrant affairs a dreamer Came to america from mexico with his as a child with his Parents and went through the system and now he is the commissioner of the mayor's office of immigrant affairs That says a lot about our city But st. Vincent is so resilient You have preserved through difficult times including hurricanes of volcanoes eruptions You always find a way of just infusing the energy that's needed to state that nothing can keep you back And as a resilient people in a resilient country You have brought that resiliency here to the shores of america and you're warm welcome your spirit Of engagement and encounter with people from kingstown harbour to the bays That surrounds the island to the beaches and to united island You have all that it takes to state you're bringing that here to this great city and great country I am proud For the first time To raise Your flag here at bowland green And it's going to be one of many times It is a day of Remembrance and a day of acknowledgement and it's a day of lifting up the spirit of our city Let's be clear New york city is not coming back New york city is back and we're back because of you let's celebrate And so before raising the flag i got to get the traditional head time Come on come and show me how to do it right Don't worry he'll get it really put some vincey in him today he'll get it So the proclamation Whereas caribbean americans have long strengthened the five boroughs and they will continue to play a key role As we take bold steps to recover from covet 19 pandemic grow our economy and build a safer fairer more prosperous future for all at today's ceremony in Manhattan historic Bowling green park Vincent Vincentinians Vincentians Vincent's new york is well commemorate The independence of st. Vincent and the granities by raising his blue gold and green flag Which will fly proudly next to the american flag today's event is also a wonderful occasion to celebrate the rich heritage Of this vital community in our enduring friendship with their homeland I look forward to the many ways everyone gathered would further invigorate new york as we unite to rebuild Renew and reinvent now. I'm there for i eric adams man of the city of new york proclaim october 27 2022 in the city of new york st. Vincent and the grenadines heritage day Give it up for me eric adams And now please join us in raising the flag of the united states of america Thank you. Melissa hills and we know how this early horn king Who's going to sing the national anthem of st. Vincent and the grenadines? And before we conclude our flag racing ceremony Council general has a gift to present to mayor eric adams Honorable mayor On behalf of the consul of the consul general and the government and people of st. Vincent and the grenadines We would like to present you with this token of our appreciation What you see before you is a genre of art called tropical realism It is a vintcension trademark that was developed by vintcension artist calvote macalester jones The signature style depicts bursts of bold colors Loose strokes and the movements of color across the canvas in his method of capturing the soul The essence of vintcension caribbean and tropical lifestyle This rendition Is titled welcome to new york bridges dreams and liberty echoes the warmth charisma Passion and cosmopolitan makeup of the soul of new york And do i dare say depicts the soul of our beloved mayor A place where dreams have materialized for a lot of our nationals not just our nationals was nationals all over And hope reignited and passion stirred so mayor we thank you We thank you for your continued support and we would like to present you with this token of our appreciation as you would see mayor the The empire state building is also depicted Of our national colors will be lit at the top of the empire state building tonight a very proud moment for us indeed Thank you mayor And before we conclude we have a special presentation to arthur