With the recent celebration of the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Mexico, the Mexican Cultural Center has hosted its Friends of Mexico Awards Ceremony Luncheon, celebrating and honoring those who have proven excellence in serving Mexican and Latino communities.

The luncheon was hosted by the Condesa, a Mexican restaurant located in Center City Philadelphia, on May 4, 2023.

The first to be celebrated for their community service is Bimbo Bakeries U.S., who are the American branch of Mexican bakery company Grupo Bimbo, and the recipient of the Corporate Community Award.

Presenting the award was Head Consul of Mexico Carlos Obrador, bestowing it upon Bimbo’s Senior Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain, Ramon Rivera.

“The Mexico-U.S. bilateral relationship is going through one of its best moments in history. We are a global reference of cooperation and integration, with sound, positive outcomes for the North American region as a whole,” Obrador said in a speech.

“Almost 200,000 jobs are supported by the almost $1.5 billion in bilateral trade [in Pennsylvania],” he continued.

Bimbo, U.S. has done this through financial contributions, launching mentoring programs, and programs to bring out volunteers to support their communities, done in partnership with the Philadelphia Union.

These programs are iAM (Inspiration, Aspiration, Mentorship), which helps students be ready for their careers; and U-Serve, an initiative to build volunteering manpower for different community projects.

Receiving the Culture and Art Access Award was the Penn Museum, for their work in providing access to information to underserved communities through mentoring programs, schools, neighborhoods, and volunteers.

Christopher Woods, the Williams Director of the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, accepted the award on behalf of the museum.

Presenting the Education Pathways to Success Award was Mayra Bergman, vice president of communications at PECO, who delivered the award to Cabrini University’s Laura Chisolm, the university’s Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations.

Cabrini University has demonstrated their commitment to helping students through TheDream.US, a program that provides college access and success for DREAMers, alongside scholarships that can cover tuition and fees of up to $37,000 for first-time college students.

"200 years ago, when the diplomatic exchange between Mexico and the United States first started, it was hard to imagine that these young nations would one day transform their geographic destiny into one of the most fruitful and important partnerships in the world,” Obrador concluded.