Derrick A. Scott, Gleaner Writer
President of the Atlanta Jamaican Association, Alan Alberga (right), receives The Phoenix Award, the City of Atlanta's highest award from David Constantine of Mayor Shirley Franklin's office. The award was presented in commemoration of Jamaica's 43rd year of Independence at the association's annual Independence and Emancipation Ball held at the Hilton Hotel, downtown Atlanta on August 13. - PHOTO BY DERRICK SCOTT
ATLANTA, Georgia:
THE ATLANTA Jamaican Association has received the Phoenix Award, the highest recognition that is given by Atlanta, in recognition of Jamaica's 43rd Independence anniversary.
In making the presentation, David Constantine, who represented Mayor Shirley Franklin at the AJA's Independence and Emancipation Ball on Saturday, August 13 at the Hilton Hotel, downtown Atlanta, said the award was being presented to the Atlanta Jamaican Association in recognition for the tremendous contributions that Jamaicans have made to the city of Atlanta.
More than 20,000 Jamaicans have made and continue to make great contributions, whether in government, business, academia, or the arts, to Atlanta's development and prosperity. Atlanta is also very proud of its long standing sister-city relationship with Montego Bay. This partnership has promoted education and cultural exchange, trade and investments and improved service delivery.
SISTER-CITY RELATIONSHIP
Mayor Franklin pointed out that under the sister-city relationship the City of Atlanta has hosted technical visits of government officials from Montego Bay, pairing them with Atlanta's Police and Fire departments; the local health department; the Atlanta Housing Authority and public schools, thus making the City of Atlanta an active partner to Jamaica's development and welfare.
In a special message from the Governor-General, Sir Howard Cooke, read by AJA's President, Alan Alberga, the Governor-General pointed out that in the evolution of any great country progress is not always smooth and swift and without disappointments and setback. Therefore, as Jamaicans we have to work collectively and unselfishly at correcting those things that mitigate around our vision for moving forward.
The association presented two scholarship awards to Lauren Alicia Johnson and Shaday Azure-Dee Gallimore. In addition, two special awards were presented to Joyce Tomlinson of Air Jamaica and Copeland Cumrie, chairman of the Atlanta Jamaican Association's family relations committee.
