Greater Hartford Puerto Rican Day Parade celebration kicks off [Video]

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The Greater Hartford Puerto Rican Day Parade is Sunday, and the celebration is already underway.

As anticipation builds for this year’s colorful display of Puerto Rican culture and heritage, organizers kicked off the festivities Tuesday in Hartford.

Hundreds of people lined up outside the Institute for the Hispanic Family at Catholic Charities on Wadsworth Street. Goya Foods donated 7,000 pounds of food to local families in partnership with the Connecticut Institute for Community Development (CICD) parade committee.

“This means one more meal that people can have with their families,” said Joel Cruz, the senior director of family strengthening programs for Catholic Charities. “It means the world. There’s so many folks trying to make it day at a time, and so if we can add one more day, it means the world to us.”

Organizers said the donation event highlights the power of collaboration by bringing people …