Speech and Testimony
County Executive Leggett’s Remarks at The Cote d'Ivoire Economic and Cultural Festival
As prepared
Silver Spring Civic Center, One Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring
Thank you for inviting me to be here today!
We are joined by Ambassador Daouda Diabaté, Ambassador of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire in the United States, members of the diplomatic corps, Ivorians, other people of the African Diaspora, and other honored guests to celebrate the 7thAnnual Ivorian Economic and Cultural Festival here in the Silver Spring Civic Building Plaza.
Today, officially the 56th anniversary of Côte d’Ivoire’s independence, is also a day of celebration of the contributions made by Ivorian people throughout Montgomery County.
I would like to thank La Main Tendue for organizing today’s festivities.
La Main Tendue is a nonprofit organization that strives to extend a helping hand to vulnerable communities in underserved areas of our country. They work tirelessly with sponsors and donors to provide clothing, medical, and school supplies to orphanages in Côte d’Ivoire and women’s groups here in the County.
La Main Tendue’s mission to assist, educate, and empower women, children and other marginalized people; to provide access to education and health care; and to provide business skills for those with aspirations of becoming an entrepreneur, is in keeping with the County’s value of inclusion for all and creating a strong and vibrant community that is healthy and sustainable.
We are grateful for La Main Tendue’s ongoing efforts to bring the African communities in Montgomery County together in order to share the rich culture of Africa, in particular the Ivory Coast, and to help those in need.
Through the crucial power of donations and other forms of support, they are working to meet their goals to:
- Actively contribute at the grass-root level to the promotion of what their motherland has to offer in terms of economic opportunities and cultural diversity.
- Provide the dynamic community of the Ivorian Diaspora in the United States with a voice and a presence in Montgomery County, which is of the most vibrant multicultural communities in the state of Maryland
The Ivorian community is represented by thousands of residents and contributes to the sustained growth of the County's economic and multicultural fabric.
I hope everyone here is able to enjoy a sampling of that fabric today – the food, the fashion show, and the live performers, including dancers and singers. The proceeds from the day’s festivities will go far to helping those in need.
Thank you for joining us!
August 7, 2016; 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.