Persaud honors 19 community members
By Nelson A. King
Brooklyn Senator Roxanne J.
Persaud Tuesday night hosted
her third annual Power 19 Award
Ceremony at Brookdale Hospital
Medical Center, honoring 19
individuals from her Senate District
19 in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
Guyanese-born Persaud recognized
the community members “who have
made significant contributions in
transforming their communities and
institutions in and around Senate
District 19.”
The honorees this year are
firefighters, emergency medical
technicians (EMTs) and students, as
well as a government official, a social
worker, a librarian, an engineer and
an author.
The evening began with the
Senator defining the meaning of
“Power 19,” followed by speeches
from Samara Karasyk, senior vice
president and chief policy officer of
the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce,
and Jabari Hall, international
empowerment speaker and founder
of youth organization J-Has-Heart.
Before presenting each honoree
with a New York State Senate
Proclamation Persaud expressed
appreciation and gratitude for
the honorees’ “selfless passion in
promoting change and inspiring
hope in the community,” as well as
their guests for supporting them
and being the “wind beneath their
wings.”
She also thanked the management
and staff of Brookdale Hospital
for their “invaluable partnership”
in helping host the event and the
Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce,
as well as Agape Bethel CDC for
contributing giveaway bags for the
honorees.
“Why Power 19’ Because we are
Senate District 19, we are the Power
19,” Persaud said. “It is always our
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privilege and honor to recognize
members of the community.
“Too often, we pass by people
doing great things – the work that
you all do, day in and day out,” she
added. “And that’s why we are here,
to say thank you.
“Over the past couple years, we
have honored many people,” Persaud
continued. “And all we ask is that
you keep doing what you’re doing
and pay it forward.
“Some of you may live here, some
of you may not, but all of you have
invested interest in the community,”
she said. “You are all a part of this
community.”
The 2019 Senate District 19 Power
19 honorees were: Emily Cabrera
— Academic Excellence Award;
Francis A. Valerio - Community
Champion Award; Shamika Cousar
— Community Empowerment
Award; Iyana Curtis — Community
Empowerment Award; Wayne
Harris - Community Empowerment
Award; Tom Mueller — Community
Empowerment Award; Lieutenant
Krystal S. Hayes — Community
Engagement & Service Award; Walter
Hochbrueckner — Community
Engagement & Service Award;
Michelle Singh — Humanitarian
Award; and Brandon Bloomfield —
Innovative Leadership Award.
The other honorees were:
Lieutenant Ricardo Otero —
Innovation Leadership Award;
Brittany Coleman — Scholastic
Achievement Award; Jada Edmunds
— Scholastic Achievement Award;
Peter Haggerty — Service and
Bravery Award; Robert Puckett —
Service and Bravery Award; Edward
Rodriguez — Service and Bravery
Award; Cherise Birchwood — Youth
Community Empowerment Award;
Javon Hawker — Youth Community
Empowerment Award; and Malyka
Bailey — Youth Leadership Award.
Sen. Roxanne Persaud (Center, second row) with her honorees.
Offi ce of Sen. Roxanne Persaud
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