‘It Is Because of the Everyday People That We Are Standing Here Today’: Mayor Adams Unveils Essential Workers Plaque in Lower Manhattan

Mayor Eric Adams and Deputy Mayors Lorraine Grillo, Meera Joshi, Maria Torres-Springer, Anne Williams-Isom and Sheena Wright joined the Downtown Alliance and more than a dozen essential workers on Thursday to celebrate the unveiling of Lower Manhattan’s new plaque at 250 Broadway — marking the 208th ticker-tape parade. Borough President Mark Levine, City Council Member Christopher Marte and Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin were also on-hand to commemorate the occasion.

The parade, held at the behest of then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, took place on July 7, 2021, to honor the essential workforce that persevered throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The festive event was witnessed by thousands of New Yorkers who lined the streets to show their support as confetti rained down along Broadway. As is customary, the procession ended at City Hall where the group was also given symbolic keys to the city by Mayor de Blasio. 

Like his predecessor, Mayor Adams lauded the workers who put their lives on the line to keep New York running in one of its darkest moments. “It is because of the everyday people that we are standing here today,” he said.

The essential workers present at the event represented the MTA, U.S. Postal Service, NYC Department of Sanitation, Port Authority, ConEdison, NY Presbyterian, Duane Reade, NYC Parks, Bowery Residents’ Committee and the Downtown Alliance. They include: Bowery Residents’ Committee’s  Tyler Berkekey and Terrell Johnson; Con Edison’s Maureen Kreider (Nurse Practitioner at Employee Wellness Center); Downtown Alliance’s Reginald Blue (Sanitation Team Member) and Darell Joseph (Public Safety Officer); Duane Reade’s Arssath Uthumalebbe (Store Manager) and Michael Kyriannis (Pharmacy Manager); MTA’s Alejandra Frino (Bus Operator) and Cherry Wiltshire (Group Station Manager); NYC Department of Parks & Recreation’s Ralph Musalino (Deputy Chief For Manhattan Operations); NYC Department of Sanitation’s Fernando Blanco (Sanitation Worker), Nicole Doz (Supervisor) and Tanya Jenkins (Sanitation Worker); NY Presbyterian’s John Jurenko (Director of Government Affairs & Grants) and Chui Lai (Assistant Vice President); Port Authority’s Ronnie Anderson (Train Dispatcher/Terminal Supervisor) and Jayson H. Zimmerman (Tunnel System Controller);  and U.S. Postal Service’s Feliciano Rafael (Letter Carrier).

Legions of frontline workers, including nurses, bus drivers, train operators, restaurant workers, sanitation workers among others faced unprecedented circumstances at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thanks to their sacrifice, the city continued to operate amid stay-at-home orders intended to curb the spread of the virus in its earliest days. 

photo: @nycmayor