A NUMBER of activities have been set, and the Guyana Independence Celebration Committee in New York is inviting all Guyanese to join them overseas to celebrate the country’s 51st Anniversary of Independence from May 26 to June 11.
The Committee’s Chairman, Rickford Burke said that the activities will kick off with the Independence Day Flag Raising Service which will be held on May 26 in the Courtyard of the Alexander Hamilton US Customs House, 1 Bowling Green, Manhattan NY 10004 (at the Broadway/Wall St Bull).

A Cocktail Reception & Awards Ceremony will immediately follow in the Rotunda of the Alexander Hamilton US Customs House. On Sunday, May 28, an Independence Service will be held at God’s Battalion of Prayer Church, 661 Linden Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11203 (at Linden Blvd & Schenectady Ave), while a soccer tournament will be on June 4, 2017 at South Shore High School Park, Flatlands Ave and Ralph Ave., Brooklyn.
A cricket competition is set for the morning of June 10, in Queens, while the Independence festival is set for the afternoon at Brooklyn Rocks Night Club, (Formerly Temptations, on 2214 Church Ave at Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn 11226.) The independence celebration will conclude with the annual Independence Mashramani Parade on Sunday, June 11, on Church Ave., Brooklyn.

The annual Unity Concert will immediately follow the parade at 8014 Preston Court at Ralph Ave, Brooklyn NY 11236; (Ralph Ave between Foster and Ave D).
The Mashramani Parade is a trait of the Guyanese people and it will be an annual event held on the second Sunday in June each year, Burke said.
The Guyana Independence Celebration Committee (NY) says it performs functions that are “community” oriented and for community benefit.

Burke related that, in honor of Guyana’s 50th Independence anniversary last year, the organization hosted a one week celebration that included an interfaith service, symposium on Guyana’s history, volunteer day with free medical and legal clinics, a flag raising ceremony, investment conference, cricket and soccer competition, kids fun day, a State dinner at which President David Granger was guest of honour and the Mashramani parade and unity concert. “We united with the Queens community and created a diverse organization that reflected all of Guyana,” Burke said.

He related that the organization is comprised of 163 members from every realm of the Guyanese diaspora in nine US States that are divided into and 13 sub-committees. “We mobilize thousands of nationals and our website generated over 5 million impressions. This was never achieved in the Guyanese diaspora,” it was noted.

Under US law as a “not for profit organization,” the committee is prohibited by Federal law from affiliating or coordinating with political parties. The committee says it has no political connections and engages in activities tailored to the diaspora in a bid to foster diversity and inclusiveness.
“We assure our brothers and sisters in Queens and other communities, that we eschew partisan politics and division… Guyana belongs to all of us. We must therefore work unceasingly to achieve national unity.”

The committee could be contacted for more information on the independence celebration at www.celebrateguyanainnyc.com, info@celebrateguyanainnyc.com or call Tel: 929-263-2556.