Orange County Government Public Information Officer
Email: PIO@ocfl.net

PBS American Portrait Virtual Screening – A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage

Orange County GovernmentA celebration of Hispanic Heritage in Central Florida

September 15, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.

Orange County, Fla. – Orange County Government is pleased to join the Hispanic Heritage Committee of Greater Orange County (“Hispanic Heritage Committee”) and WUCF TV for a special celebration of Hispanic Heritage in Orange County!

Every year, the Hispanic Heritage Committee hosts its signature kick-off celebration to mark the start of “Hispanic Heritage Month”, a celebration dedicated to bringing our community together to celebrate the vibrance and richness of the Hispanic culture.

Committee Chairwoman Marthaly Irizarry, stated that due to the public health emergency the community is currently facing, the organization has opted to pursue a virtual celebration as a way to keep everyone safe and provide a space for Central Florida residents to come together in a celebration of Hispanic heritage.

To that end, the Hispanic Heritage Committee joined forces with “American Portrait”, a national storytelling project where people across the country share their individual stories to create a real-time, multimedia, self-made portrait of America.

PBS American Portrait: A celebraton of hispanic heritage in Central Florida

“Our organization is very excited to serve as a co-host for this grand celebration, especially since it is the first partnership of its kind between the Hispanic Heritage Committee, Orange County Government, WUCF TV and the community in general.” Irizarry added.

The community is invited to join the celebration on September 15, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. for a virtual screening of local American Portrait stories to hear from members of our community on what it means to be Hispanic American in Central Florida.  The screening will feature three distinguished guests of Hispanic and/or LatinX descent that were carefully selected by the Committee because of their selflessness and dedicated service to our community. The featured guests will include:

  • Raúl Pino, Orange County Health Officer, Florida Health Department
  • Marcia Romero, Founder and CEO, People Who Make A Difference Foundation
  • Ashley Figueroa, Founder & Executive Director, Gender Advancement Project

“This collaboration with community partners is an example of what can be accomplished when we all work together,” stated Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings.  

“WUCF is interested in ensuring that our diverse Central Florida community is represented, including our Hispanic residents who have been critical to shaping the landscape in Central Florida,” said Dr. Phil Hoffman, executive director for WUCF. “That’s why we partnered with the Hispanic Heritage Committee of Greater Orange County to actively collect Hispanic American stories for American Portrait in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.”

To watch the local screening, please register online at https://ovee.itvs.org/screenings/taw98. The PBS American Portrait Virtual Screening is open to everyone and is a fantastic opportunity to take part in Hispanic Heritage Month along with others in the community.

There’s still time for you to be part of the conversation, log onto www.wucf.org/AmericanPortrait and respond to one of a number of thought-provoking prompts. Everyone is welcome!

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About WUCF TV: WUCF TV, Central Florida PBS is the sole-service PBS member station whose mission is to encourage curiosity and learning through compelling content and community engagement. The station serves nearly 4 million Central Floridians across nine counties and is community-supported public broadcasting from the University of Central Florida.  Learn more at http://www.wucftv.org.

ABOUT Hispanic Heritage Committee of Greater Orange County: The Hispanic Heritage Committee of Greater Orange County is a volunteer-based, not-for-profit corporation founded in 1999 by Orange County Government employees. The first Hispanic Heritage Month celebration hosted by the organization dates back to 1999. The festivities included a proclamation and an art Hispanic Art Exhibit in the County Administration Center’s lobby. Throughout the years, the Hispanic Heritage Committee of Greater Orange County has hosted a diverse variety of educational, cultural and social events. The goal of continuously share the Hispanic culture and celebrate the contributions of local residents of Hispanic descent. For more information please Hispanic Heritage Committee Facebook page.

About Orange County Government: Orange County Government strives to serve its residents and guests with integrity, honesty, fairness and professionalism. Located in Central Florida, Orange County includes 13 municipalities and is home to world-famous theme parks, one of the nation’s largest convention centers and a thriving life science research park. Seven elected members make up the Board of County Commissioners, including the Mayor, who is elected countywide. For more information, please visit www.OCFL.net or go to Orange County Government’s social media channels.

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