Puerto Rican Day Parade won’t forget hurricane

New York — There will be floats, musicians and brightly colored costumes when the Puerto Rican Day Parade makes its way along Fifth Avenue today, as there always are.

But amid all the fun and celebration planned for today, organizers and participants want to keep a spotlight on something serious — that months after Hurricane Maria roared over Puerto Rico, and as the next hurricane season arrives, the U.S. island territory is still struggling.

“This is a year where Puerto Rico has been devastated,” said Louis Maldonado, chairman of the board that oversees the parade and its affiliated events. “We need to keep that part of the conversation.”

Those watching the parade in person will see that in the marching contingents, including one made up of people who are on the U.S. mainland only because they were displaced from their homes on the island, he said.

The parade will also honor first responders and others who stepped up to help with both emergency efforts and ongoing recovery work, as well as recognizing David Begnaud, the CBS News journalist who has earned praise for his extended reporting about conditions on the island.

For those watching via the live broadcast, Maldonado said, there will be guests talking about the issues, as well as specific segments focused on particular issues, like the plight of teachers on the island or environmental issues.

This year’s parade comes a year after a controversial one, when the parade organization’s decision to recognize Oscar Lopez Rivera, a former member of a militant group responsible for a series of bombings, led some sponsors to withdraw their support and some politicians like Gov. Andrew Cuomo decline to take part.