WBCA Abrazo Children and Bridge Speakers Selected for 115th Celebration
LAREDO, TX (August 25, 2011) – The Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association (WBCA) along with the International Good Neighbor Council (IGNC) have announced their selection of the four bright young Abrazo Children who will represent the United States and Mexico during the 115th Celebration. WBCA officials also announced Thursday that the Bishop James A. Tamayo and Bishop Gustavo Rodriguez Vega will serve as Bridge Speakers for 2012.
“The International Bridge Ceremony, established in 1950, symbolizes friendship, goodwill, mutual respect, and the warmth of the relationship between the United States and Mexico. Making the occasion even more memorable was the addition of the Abrazo Children from both countries in the 1960’s. The children, along with U.S. dignitaries and their Mexican counterparts, meet at the center of the International Bridge and exchange abrazos,” said Jose A. Palacios Jr., President of the 115th WBCA Celebration.
“This symbolic welcome serves as Mexico’s official invitation to the Washington’s Birthday Celebration and is a truly moving ceremony that I encourage all of you to experience,” he added.
The 2011 – 2012 Abrazo Children, representing the United States, are Jordann Paris Hale and Ryan Montgomery Moore. The children representing Mexico are Analia Mounetou Monroy and Horacio Alberto Perez Vasquez. The official announcement of the selection was made during a special ceremony on Thursday, August 25, 2011, at the San Agustin Ballroom at La Posada Hotel located at 1000 Zaragoza, the proud sponsor of the International Bridge Ceremony.
Hale, 8, is a third grade student at Mary Help of Christian School. She is the daughter of Judge Oscar J. Hale, Jr. and Mrs. Kristina K. Laurel Hale. Jordann is an outgoing, active, and talented young lady who is a member of her school’s Elementary Cheerleading Squad and is also involved with Mary’s Club. Jordann is also learning to play the piano and participates in tumbling and dance at the All American Dance Studio. Her passion is learning everything and anything about the French and their culture; and, she will be starting her second enrollment at St. Mary’s Hall in San Antonio to foster her appreciation of the country’s language and customs.
Moore, 9, is a fourth grade student at St. Augustine Elementary. Moore is the son of Mr. Montgomery C. Moore and Mrs. Angie D. Moore. Ryan is active at St. Augustine, and belongs to the Garden Club, Art Club, Choir and the Basketball team. He keeps himself busy out of school, with his love for swimming, drawing and an interest in all things science.
Mounetou, 7, is a second grader at United Day School. Analia is the daughter of Mr. Ignacio Mounetou Perez and Mrs. Marcela Monroy Mounetou. Analia is quite an active youngster, and makes time for tennis, dance classes, swimming and reading.
Perez, 9, will also represent Mexico as an Abrazo Child. He is a fifth grade student at United Day School and the son of Mr. Horacio Alberto Perez Chapa and Mrs. Sara Melissa Vazquez de Perez. Horacio keeps himself busy at United Day School by participating in the School Patrol. He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys going hunting. He is also a multi-talented youngster who loves playing basketball, football, golf and participating in track.
La Posada Hotel, the official host hotel of the Washington’s Birthday Celebration, will be the proud sponsor of the International Bridge Ceremony for the 115th Celebration.
“The La Posada Hotel is honored to participate as a host of the announcement reception for the Abrazo children and Bridge Speakers who will participate in the upcoming WBCA International Bridge Ceremony in February 2012,” stated Norbert Dickman, General Manager of Fasken Oil and Ranch, Ltd., the operator of the La Posada Hotel. “The Abrazo ceremony is always a focal point of the annual festivities, as well as a meaningful and touching symbol of the close relationship which exists between ‘Los Dos Laredos’ and among the United States and Mexico,” added Dickman.
Serving as the distinguished guest Bridge Speakers at the event will be The Most Reverend James A. Tamayo, Bishop of the Diocese of Laredo and his Mexican counterpart, Bishop Gustavo Rodriguez Vega.
“The honor of having both the most Reverend Bishop James A. Tamayo and Bishop Gustavo Rodriguez Vega serve as our featured bridge ceremony speakers for 2012, highlights the need for continued unity both spiritually and physically, between two great cities. And for this reason, the following individuals, and what they represent, are especially appropriate,” Palacios said.
Bishop Tamayo is the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Laredo. He was ordained a priest on July 11, 1976 and ordained a bishop on March 10, 1993, becoming auxiliary bishop of Galveston-Houston and titular bishop of Ita. On August 9, 2000, he was installed as the bishop of the newly-founded Diocese of Laredo in Webb County in South Texas. Tamayo holds a Master in Arts in Theology from the University of St. Thomas and attended St. Mary's Seminary in Houston.
Bishop Gustavo Rodriguez Vega is the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nuevo Laredo. He was ordained a priest on August 15, 1980 and was appointed as the auxiliary bishop of Monterrey on June, 27, 2001 by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. He was later ordained a bishop on August 14, 2001. On October 8, 2008, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed Monsignor Vega as the bishop of the Diocese of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas and took control on November 19, 2008. He was a student of social sciences at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
The first symbolic meeting of the two countries as part of the Laredo Celebration was first established in 1898 and quickly evolved to include a ceremony where U.S. and Mexican local and military officials gathered to walk arm in arm into downtown Laredo making it one of the longest-standing traditions of the Celebration still honored to date. In 1969, the WBCA and IGNC introduced the Abrazo Children to this symbolic event to further promote the greater awareness and understanding between the people of the Americas. The act of the four children meeting in the middle of the bridge and exchanging a heartfelt “abrazo” symbolizes friendship, goodwill, kindness and a mutual appreciation between the United States and Mexico.
After the children exchange these symbolic hugs or “abrazos,” the U.S. and Mexican dignitaries also meet their counterparts in the middle of the bridge and share the same “abrazo” gesture. This is the only time each year that an international bridge linking the two countries is formally closed to the public.
As official Ambassadors of the Washington’s Birthday Celebration, this year’s Abrazo Children and Bridge Speakers will attend a number of WBCA events including the historic International Bridge Ceremony Sponsored by La Posada Hotel. The event will take place on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 7:30 a.m. on the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge.
The Washington’s Birthday Celebration, founded in 1898, is the largest Celebration of its kind in the United States. The month-long celebration includes parades, a carnival, an air show, fireworks, live concerts and many other fun and exciting events for every member of the family. Combined, WBCA events attract nearly 500,000 residents and visitors, and yearly contributes an estimated $14 million to the local economy.
Throughout the years, the Celebration has grown to be over a month long and consists of parades, dazzling pageants, fireworks, a carnival, an air show, a sizzling jalapeño festival and much more. Combined, WBCA events attract nearly 500,000 residents and visitors, and yearly contributes an estimated $14 million to the local economy.
The Washington's Birthday Celebration was recently ranked as one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association (ABA) because of the excellent entertainment value it offers to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world.
The 115th Washington’s Birthday Celebration takes place January 19 - February 19. Tickets for events may be purchased beginning Feb. 6th. For additional information, click on the media tab at www.wbcalaredo.org, e-mail wbca@wbcalaredo.org, contact the WBCA office at (956) 722-0589, or visit 1819 E. Hillside Road in Laredo, TX.
