7th annual of Lebanon-American Day celebration

Here I am, a youth, a young tree, whose roots were plucked from the hills of

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal acknowledges the contributions of the Lebanese community to the city and the state of Connecticut. Lebanon, yet I am deeply rooted here, and I would be fruitful,” read the inscription of a quote by Khalil Gibran, a Lebanese-American poet and writer, on the black stone monument unveiled on June 13 at Danbury City Hall in celebration of the 7th annual of Lebanon-American Day.

Dedicated to the Lebanese immigrants residing in the Danbury area, the monument is one of a kind, according to Joe Walkovich, president of Danbury’s Lebanon American Club.

“There are already monuments that honor a particular individual or saint, but this is the first monument in New England, and possibly the United States, that honors the immigrants,” explained Walkovich. A flag-raising ceremony marked the beginning of the celebration. City Engineer Farid Khouri raised the American flag in front of City Hall as the crowd sang the national anthem, followed by Nada Zarrini, president of the The Lebanon America Club Ladies Auxiliary, who raised the Lebanese flag while Mary Ataya, a professional singer, led the Lebanese national anthem. The atmosphere was deeply embedded in the pride of being Lebanese. “When they [his grandparents] came here, the most important thing on their mind was trying to put food on the table and carve out a better life,” said Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura. “If they can see us from heaven and see what we have achieved today, it would make them very proud.” Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton also emphasized the major contributions the Lebanese community has made to the city, followed by the strong remarks of Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who also attended the ceremony.

Members of the Lebanese community watch the unveiling of the monument At the unveiling of the monument, which is located in the community garden next to City Hall, City Council Tom Saadi explained the engraved image of a cedar tree with a caption that reads, “Cedars of Lebanon” in Arabic.

City Council Tom Saadi helps Mayor Boughton bring his flower wreath The cedar tree is “mentioned throughout the Hebrew and Christian bibles,” Saadi said. “The cedar tree symbolizes strength, growth and eternal life drawn from the fertile lands of the Lebanese mountains. The cedars of Lebanon provided the wood for Solomon’s place and the First Temple in Jerusalem, for the ships of our Phoenician ancestors and stands as a symbol of the strength of our ancestors.” According to Walkovich, many families have made a donation to fund the monument.The Danbury City Garden is open to all ethnicities that desire to build a monument to honor their heritage and their roots and to celebrate their prosperity in this nation.

Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura speaks of his Lebanese descent “We are able to live and prosper in this nation and at the same time, honor our immigrant ancestors and celebrate our culture,” said Saadi.

The ceremony was followed by a luncheon at Danbury’s Lebanon American Club, where over 150 guests gathered to continue their celebration.