News Release: Tucson’s Birthday Ambassadors Orientation set for July 23

Contact: Linda Ray
info@tucsonsbirthday.org
520-327-7544

TUCSON’S BIRTHDAY AMBASSADORS SPREAD THE FUN
July 23 Orientation Set for Tucson’s Birthday Volunteers

Tucsonans who love their town and want to spread the
word about its month-long August birthday celebration are invited to
attend an orientation from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, July 23 for
Tucson’s Birthday Ambassadors.

The meeting, to be held at the Martha Cooper Branch Library, 1377
North Catalina Ave., will feature a 20-minute capsule history of
Tucson by historian Ken Scoville, donuts from the 75-year-old LeCave’s
Bakery and coffee from Ike’s.

Birthday Ambassadors attend their choice Tucson’s Birthday events to
help promote all the other events in the Birthday month. They’re
encouraged to text, Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare, Yelp, photograph,
videotape and blog about events they attend. They also serve as a
street team to promote events to their friends and neighbors, and to
encourage people to visit tucsonsbirthday.org for more information.
In 2010, more than 40 Ambassadors participated, some attending more
than 20 events.

Besides enthusiasm for learning more about our city’s history,
cultural diversity and natural wonders, Ambassadors require a cell
phone, an e-mail address, a computer and a comfortable relationship
with their technology. An additional training session is available on
blogging.

Reservations are required via e-mail to tucsonsbirthday@gmail.com.
Anyone interested in attending is urged to first familiarize
themselves with the information available on the Tucson’s Birthday
website at http://www.tucsonsbirthday.org.

Tucson’s month-long birthday celebration was conceived in 2006 by Cele
Peterson. The month celebrates the contributions of many cultures and
interests, as well as the environmental features and institutions that
have made Tucson a unique community. Tucson’s Birthday Planners is a
501(c)3 corporation, registered in the State of Arizona. Its Board
members are President and Executive Director Linda Ray, Chairman Hon.
Richard Elías, Secretary Dave Fisher and at-large members Hon. Regina
Romero, Ray Davies, Lance Laber, Tom Prezelski, Art Pesqueira and Pete
Hershberger.

Tucson’s birthday is coming up on August 20, but events are held throughout Tucson during the entire month of August. Log onto that website to find out what’s happening every day. I attended several fun events last summer and blogged about them as well.

birthday logo

On August 20, 1775 Captain Hugo O’Conor, an Irishman in the Spanish Army selected the site for the Presidio San Agustin del Tucson in what is now downtown Tucson. This was the beginning of the historic presidio here and thus the beginning of the city of Tucson. Incidentally I just saw the statue of O’Conor at the Manning House downtown (450 W. Redondo Drive).

Lots to do today in celebration of Tucson’s 235th birthday, by starting off at:

El Presidio de San Agustin flag ceremony, 8 to 10 a.m. SW corner of Church Ave. and Washington St. in downtown Tucson.

“The five flags that have flown over Tucson – American, Spanish, Mexican, Confederate, and the State of Arizona – will be presented in a ceremony to celebrate Tucson’s 235th birthday. The Tohono O’odham Nation and Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona flags will also be presented, as will a replica of the 28-star American flag that was brought by the Mormon Battalion and flown over Tucson on December 16, 1846.

The ceremony will include an invocation, signing of a proclamation by distinguished guests, the honor guard presentation, and music and dance. The flags will then be retired to close the ceremony.

Those attending are encouraged to dress in period costumes and sample a piece of the Tucson birthday cake.

El Presidio flag ceremony, from their website

The annual flag raising celebrating Tucson’s birthday was begun by Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission in 1975. The Presidio San Agustín del Tucson interpretive center is located on the site of Tucson’s original adobe-walled presidio.”

I’ve attended this ceremony in the past, and the period costumes truly help to re-enact Tucson’s varied history, especially the Spanish Army soldiers.

Also lots of FREE birthday stuff today:

– Doubletree Hotel: free chocolate chip cookie, 445 S. Alvernon Way, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
– Reid Park Zoo: free admission for children (up to age 14), 3400 E. Zoo Court, adults $7, 9 to 4 p.m.
—Chick Fil A: free spicy chicken sandwich, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., 3609 E. Broadway (near El Con Mall)
—DeGrazia Gallery of the Sun: free cake & ice cream, 10 to 4 p.m., 6300 N. Swan Rd. with a special exhibition of original drawings and paintings that tell the “Tucson Story” as seen through the eyes of famed Tucson artist Ted DeGrazia. “Tucson Story” is a collection of 17 sketches and six oil paintings of historical events and places in the Tucson area, including “Kino Building San Xavier”, “Wishing Shrine”, “Camp Fort Lowell”, “400 Apaches Raid Tucson”

and tomorrow, free birthday cake at the Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St., at 6 p.m., call 520- 622-8848. I hear there will also be an enormous sandcastle birthday cake across the street at Maynard’s Kitchen, as part of the Big Kahuna Tropical Bash (stay tuned for my blog on that event tomorrow).

For even more events for today and tomorrow, log onto the Tucson Birthday website (click here).

Plus a tribute today to Tucson’s “First Lady of Fashion” Cele Peterson who died on May 6, 2010 at age 101. Cele operated an upscale dress shop in Tucson since 1931 and was a benevolent, caring, community leader. The store is now at 4811 E. Grant Rd. in the Crossroads Festival Shopping Center.

Cele Peterson, courtesy of the Peterson family

This Annual Birthday celebration in August was Cele’s idea back in 2006 and we need to honor her memory today. We miss her, but her goal of “connecting” people has been happening all month all over Tucson. I attended her memorial service back in May, and hundreds of people dropped by to say “adios” to this grande dame.

Happy Birthday Tucson, con muchas gracias (with many thanks) to Cele.

Here are some photos of last night’s 2nd Saturdays Downtown urban street fest, along and around E. Congress Street, compliments of Donovan Dean Durband (Ward 6 Council aide and former Executive Director of the Downtown Tucson Alliance), and Tucson Birthday’s photographer Jon Scanlon.

human statue, courtesy of Donovan Durband

A Son y Sol at Ronstadt Transit Center, courtesy of Donovan Durband

Roll Acosta on the Scott Avenue Stage, courtesy of Donovan Durband

A couple of art receptions were going on as well at Arts Marketplace (featuring artist Mel Dominguez), teen art at The Drawing Studio, and “The Art of Functional Fashion” mixed in with bike training (with drums!) at the newly opened 02 Modern Fitness center at 186 E. Broadway (corner of 5th Avenue). Over on Congress, Daniel Martin Diaz was showing his art in Sacred Machine (photo below). There was definitely diverse community art to choose from last night.

Daniel Martin Diaz's Sacred Machine gallery, courtesy of Donovan Durband

Also here are some photos by Jon Scanlon for Tucson’s Birthday at the Fox Tucson Theatre.

standing room only at the Fox Theater, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

We spent almost our entire time at the free Fox Tucson Theater concert, featuring first The Seven Pipers Scottish bagpipe troupe, then the Gospel Music Workshop of America, followed by former Tucson Citizen staffer Daniel Buckley‘s video of Cele Peterson, and a short talk by “Big Jim” Griffith (of Tucson Meet Yourself fame), then lots of great music.

Gabriel Ayala at the Fox, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Gabriel Ayala (Native American guitarist) was followed by STICKSnFINGERS Caribbean band with 5 calypso like dancers, Chinese Lion dancers of the Tucson Chinese School, then guitarist Salvador Duran (with Chili Willie on bongos), Los Gallegos (4 talented brothers), and finally Mariachi Sonido de Mexico with singer Olga Flores. Wow, it was a multi-cultural fest of terrific local music & dance, for over two hours.

Sticks & Fingers with dancers, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Chili Willie with Salvador Duran, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Los Gallegos at the Fox, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Mariachi Sonido de Mexico, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

“Big Jim” on stage said it all “This is our community, and ain’t it great?” This event was a tribute to Tucson’s “First Lady of Fashion”, Cele Peterson, who passed away at age 101 in May of this year. For more photos of this Fox Birthday event, go to the Tucson Birthday website (Flickr) for Jon Scanlon’s photo file (click here).

If you haven’t been to a 2nd Saturdays Downtown event yet, mark your calendars for the next one on September 11. It’s a family-friendly event as well, as shown by this photo last night of these joyful little boys playing with bubbles:

boys playing with bubbles, courtesy of Donovan Durband