ROXBURY, MA. On Friday, April 1, 2016, Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC) will kick-off its year-long 50th anniversary celebration with a red carpet event honoring Roxbury resident leaders. The invitation-only event will take place from 6:00pm – 11:30pm in Hibernian Hall’s historic ballroom located at 184 Dudley Street in Roxbury.
The Red Carpet Celebration will include an awards ceremony honoring resident leaders for their dedication and commitment in the areas of civic engagement, health equity and wellness, public safety, youth leadership and workforce development, and resident leadership and engagement. This year’s honorees are State Representative Byron Rushing, Valerie Shelley, Pauline Sheridan, Elmer Freeman, Willa Mae Burnett, Officer Israul “Izzy” Marrero, Yohansey Garcia, Pamela Alexander, Reverend Michael E. Haynes, and Beryl Roach. Along with the awards ceremony, the event will include dinner, dancing and entertainment.
“We look forward to honoring our residents for their commitment to the Roxbury community and to our organization,” said Abrigal Forrester, Director of Community Action. “Without the direction, service, and sacrifice of the men and women being honored during our 50th Anniversary Red Carpet Celebration, the work of MPDC would not be meaningful.”
The theme of MPDC’s 50th Anniversary is Celebrating 50 Years of Activism, Renewal, and Culture. Throughout 2016, there will be many opportunities to commemorate past accomplishments, as well as look forward to the future. In May, the MPDC website will undergo a dramatic transformation, with a highlighted feature section on the 50th anniversary, and a special 50th Anniversary Sparks for Arts gala will be held in October.
For questions about the red carpet celebration, please contact Joyce Coleman at 617-849-6234 or via email at [email protected].
Corporation Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC) was founded in 1966 when a group of community activists said no to the threatened destruction of their neighborhood. Over the past 50 years, MPDC has become a champion in revitalizing Lower Roxbury and saying yes to resident-led development and community empowerment. MPDC’s mission is to create quality, mixed-income housing, and to promote the renaissance of Dudley Square as a thriving neighborhood business district, recognized as a center of commerce and culture. ###