Gabriel Marques, a Mineola resident and elected member of the Portuguese Government’s Diaspora Advisory Council, recently presented a centennial yearbook, on behalf of President Jaime Marta Soares and the Lisbon Volunteer Fire Department, to 1st Lt. Danny Magalhaes of the Engine 3 on behalf of the Mineola Fire Department.
The yearbook was first presented to Gabriel during a ceremony in 2017 at the Lisbon VFD headquarters with the then-United States Ambassador to Portugal Robert Sherman and various local dignitaries to present a monetary donation to the organization from the Portuguese community in New York State.
“In 2017, President Soares discussed the Portuguese descendants serving in fire departments around the globe and asked that I bring a copy of this book back to the United States for the Mineola FD in the name of solidarity,” Marques said. “Today I fulfill that promise and hope this gift will serve to strengthen the bond between our nations and the two proud departments.”
Submitted by the Mineola Volunteer Fire Department
