`Torch of Friendship' Officially Presented to San Antonio as a Beacon of U.S./Mexico Ties.Business/Feature/News Editors & Travel/Entertainment Writers NOTE TO MEDIA: Multimedia assets available The new addition to San Antonio's downtown landscape -- "The Torch of Friendship" -- was officially presented to the city by Mexican dignitaries on Thursday. The day-long celebration culminates with a nighttime lighting of the torch. The contemporary steel sculpture stands 65 feet tall and weighs 50 tons. It was commissioned to commemorate the relationship between the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and Mexico and the two countries' increasing commercial ties. It is located in a roundabout at the intersection of Commerce, Alamo Alamo Eighteenth-century mission in San Antonio, Texas, site of a historic siege of a small group of Texans by a Mexican army (1836) during the Texas war for independence from Mexico. and Losoya streets, known as Convention Plaza. The ceremony took place beneath the towering monument. The sculpture was veiled for the occasion with a 40-foot drape drape v. To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds. n. A cloth arranged over a patient's body during an examination or treatment or during surgery, designed to provide a sterile field around the area. . The ceremony's poignant moment came when Dr. Jorge Castaneda, Mexico's Foreign Affairs foreign affairs pl.n. Affairs concerning international relations and national interests in foreign countries. Minister, presented the international gift to Mayor Ed Garza. "On behalf of Mexico, I am proud to present to the City of San Antonio San Antonio (săn ăntō`nēō, əntōn`), city (1990 pop. 935,933), seat of Bexar co., S central Tex., at the source of the San Antonio River; inc. 1837. `The Torch of Friendship.' May it always stand tall to symbolize the ties of friendship that forever bind our countries," said Casteneda. On hand for the occasion was world-renowned sculptor Sebastian, the designer of the sculpture, and Emilio Espana, president of the Asociacion de Empresarios Mexicanos (AEM AEM Applied and Environmental Microbiology (journal) AEM Association of Equipment Manufacturers AEM Academic Emergency Medicine (journal) AEM Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited AEM Advanced Engine Management ), the group of Mexican businessmen and entrepreneurs responsible for its creation. "We are very excited to present this gift to the city and the country that has given us so much," said Espana. "Sebastian has captured the essence of our mission to promote the ties of commerce by designing a magnificent piece of art that represents two cultures, two languages and two countries merging into one." The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of the sculpture. As the drape veiling the torch was pulled down, bilingual lyrical music could be heard that spoke of the brotherhood between the two countries. "Future generations will know of its significance," said Sebastian as he watched the unveiling. The pinnacle of the day-long celebration will be the evening lighting of the torch. Once officially lit, the torch fulfills its purpose to serve as the beacon of light symbolizing the friendship between the two countries. Note: A Photo is available at URL URL in full Uniform Resource Locator Address of a resource on the Internet. The resource can be any type of file stored on a server, such as a Web page, a text file, a graphics file, or an application program. : http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.062702/bb11 |
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