TAMPA - Lutheran Services Florida and other members of the Tampa Bay Refugee Task Force will mark World Refugee Day on Saturday, June 18.

This year’s event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jefferson High School, 4401 West Cypress Street in Tampa.

The event is an opportunity to celebrate with refugees in our community and acknowledge all that they contribute. The day will be filled with activities including ethnic food sampling, cultural performances and a short program.

The program will begin at 11:30 a.m. with emcee Brendan McLaughlin, ABC Action News anchor. McLaughlin will present the first Community Spirit Awards to U.S. Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) for their support and advocacy on refugee issues. Newly-arrived refugees from Iraq and Cuba will also share with the audience their perilous journeys to come to the United States.

World Refugee Day is internationally sponsored each year on June 20 by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to celebrate and recognize the courage and experiences of the world’s refugees. This year the theme is “Do One Thing,” and a publicity campaign will be launched June 20 and continue to the end of the year. The campaign will highlight individual refugees and motivate others to “Do One Thing” – whether that is to take action, spread the word or contribute to local agencies. At the heart of the campaign is the belief that all forcibly displaced people must be allowed to live in safety and dignity.

In the past five years, 10,000 refugees have been resettled in Tampa Bay. The majority are Cubans and Haitians, but the area has also received refugees from Iraq, Vietnam, Burma, Bhutan and many other countries.

The Tampa Bay Refugee Task Force is a coalition of dozens of local agencies, including LSF, that help refugees settle, integrate and thrive in our community.

Lutheran Services Florida is a statewide, nonprofit human services agency dedicated to helping all people in need regardless of religious affiliation, age or national origin. Headquartered in Tampa, the agency has more than 60 programs located throughout Florida. Since it was established in 1982, LSF has helped more than 850,000 children and families. LSF’s mission is to bring God’s healing, hope and help to people in need. To learn more visit www.lsfnet.org.

PHOTO ABOVE: Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn (center) presents a proclamation on World Refugee Day to members of the Tampa Bay Refugee Task Force.