Renaming and designating Fairhill Square Park at 4th Street & Lehigh Avenue as the Willie Colon Festival Park with the Joaquin Rivera "Proceres De Filadelfia" Plaza.

WHEREAS, Fairhill Square has undergone significant changes and improvements; and

WHEREAS, This Park will now be equipped with a permanent stage and Plaza and will serve as the principal venue for cultural and musical events for the Philadelphia Latino Community; and

WHEREAS, Willie Colon is a Grammy Award winning artist, and has long been a creative force in Latino music and crucial in developing a musical sound that reflects the diaspora and diverse heritage of Puerto Ricans; and

WHEREAS, Willie Colon has been a leading activist in the Latino community, serving on the Latino AIDS Commission, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus board of directors, and advocating for the rights of immigrants; and

WHEREAS, Joaquin Rivera was a longtime resident of Philadelphia and tremendous advocate and teacher of the traditional Folk Arts of his native Puerto Rico; and

WHEREAS, Joaquin worked tirelessly in the Philadelphia School District, and specifically Olney High School, where he mentored bilingual students and worked to connect Latino youth with the traditions of their native land; and

WHEREAS, Joaquin Rivera spent his life reviving the traditional music forms and cultural celebrations of Puerto Rico here in Philadelphia, and countless lives were touched by his dedication to Philadelphia's youth, music, and the beautiful culture of his homeland of Puerto Rico; and

WHEREAS, In light of the transformation of Fairhill Square Park to a center for music and cultural expression, it is appropriate that this park be renamed the Willie Colon Park with the Joaquin Rivera “Proceres De Filadelfia” Plaza; now, therefore

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:

SECTION 1. The Park located at 4th Street and Lehigh Avenue known as Fairhill Square Park, be renamed as Willie Colon Festival Park with the Joaquin Rivera “Proceres de Filadelfia” Plaza.

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