County Council To Hold Hispanic Heritage Commemoration On Oct. 6

ROCKVILLE, MD — The Montgomery County Council will hold its seventh annual Hispanic Heritage Month commemoration on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 9:15 a.m.

The theme of this year's commemoration is "Latinx Heroes: Leading, Healing and Providing Hope during the Pandemic."

Officials will be honoring members of Montgomery County's Hispanic and Latino community "who have gone above and beyond to promote public health and provide crucial services to county residents during the global pandemic," according to a press release.

This year's honorees include community activists Grace Rivera-Oven, Mario Alvarado Villa, and Oneyda Hernández; Latino Health Initiative Director Sonia Mora; and members of the Latino Health Steering Committee of Montgomery County.

"For this year's Hispanic Heritage Month commemoration, we honor those who have come together during this global pandemic in the spirit of generosity," said Councilmember Nancy Navarro. "I say it often, but it is even more important to repeat it loudly at this critical point in our history — Montgomery County's diversity is its strength."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Montgomery County's Hispanic and Latino population represents more than 20 percent of the county's total population. More than half of the county's Latino residents are foreign born, and more than 80 percent speak Spanish at home.

"Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the valuable contributions that the Latino community has made to our diverse community," said Councilmember Gabe Albornoz. "This has been especially true during the pandemic as service workers, health professionals, and many more have sacrificed to keep us all safe and moving forward. To our frontline heroes, we honor you, and we thank you."

The commemoration will be held on Zoom at the beginning of Tuesday's Council meeting. It will be streaming live on the Council's Facebook page, YouTube channel, and website.

Residents can also watch it live on Comcast/RCN channels 996/1056 and Verizon channel 30.