Banco Popular Marks 48th Year of Celebrating the National Puerto Rican Day Parade

Youth dance troupe members from New York-based Ballet Hispanico, the leading Latin-American dance company in the United States, and Native Puerto Rican singer Jorge Núñez, an American Idol finalist, will perform on the Banco Popular float at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York, beginning at 11:00 AM, Sunday, June 13, on Fifth Avenue, between 44th and 79th streets.

The celebration in New York, along with festivities throughout the United States, draws more than two million participants. Banco Popular was the first corporate sponsor of the Parade. This is the 48th consecutive year that Banco Popular celebrates the spirit and culture of the Puerto Rican community through this special event. Bank employees will be joined by 25 students, ages 11-17, from Ballet Hispanico School of Dance who will be performing a traditional Bomba dance.

“Ballet Hispanico has thrilled millions of people throughout the U.S., Europe and South America and we are pleased to have students from their school of dance with us for this year’s parade dedicated to our youth,” said Brian Doran, Banco Popular Region Executive for New York Metro. “And we welcome back our dear friend and a real crowd pleaser, Jorge Núñez. Jorge is actually a college student now, so he understands first hand the importance of education, no matter what your chosen vocation. As always, we remain firmly committed to supporting the many beneficial activities associated with the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.”

As part of the Parade festivities and in keeping with the Banco Popular’s mission to nurture, educate and prepare tomorrow’s Puerto Rican leaders, in April the bank awarded $10,000 in scholarships to 14 of New York’s brightest scholars pursuing post-secondary education. Honoring the passing of Ernesto Malave, a renowned advocate for education and leadership, the Scholarship Program was renamed as the Ernesto Malave Scholarship Program.

About Ballet Hispanico School of Dance

Under the artistic direction of Eduardo Vilaro and school director, Mercedes Pablos, the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance expands the vision established by founder Tina Ramirez in 1970. The School has forged a reputation among the nation's leading professional training programs, offering a balanced curriculum in ballet, modern and Spanish dance – a practice unique among America's dance training institutions. As a result, students receive not only a thorough grounding in the primary techniques required for a successful performing career, but also specialized training in the rich and varied dance tradition which, for many, is their cultural heritage.

Students from ages 2 through adult may study the Ballet Hispanico aesthetic, and more career oriented dancers follow the Pre-Professional track. Alumni of the School have gone on to careers in theater (Nancy Ticotin), film (Jennifer Lopez, Leelee Sobieski and Rachel Ticotin) and television (Michael DeLorenzo), as well as with other leading dance companies.

About Jorge Núñez

Jorge started in music when he was 10 years old and was part of his church kid's choir known as Niñitos del Ave Maria. At 16, he entered a special school program known as C.A.B.A. (Centro de Adiestramiento y Bellas Artes) located in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. He developed a love for choral music. He was in the choir of the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras for part of his third and fourth year, and took a leave of absence in order to participate in American Idol, a widely recognized U.S. music competition and reality show. While on the program, he was the first Puerto Rican to progress to the top 13 candidates and a finalist. Currently Jorge Núñez is focusing on furthering his solo career and finishing his degree in Comparative Literature.

About Banco Popular

As a premier community bank, Banco Popular North America (BPNA) provides a broad range of financial services and products to a diverse group of consumer and business customers across the United States.

First established in the United States in 1961, Banco Popular North America has for the past 49 years continued to grow its core banking services and today operates 97 branches across five states: New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, and Florida.

Banco Popular North America is part of Popular, Inc., a Nasdaq-listed [BPOP], full-service financial services provider with operations in Puerto Rico, the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

For more information about Banco Popular North America, visit the company’s Web site at https://www.mypopularbanking.com/us/home.

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