WASHINGTON, DC - On the evening of Monday, October 19, the Society of Spain (SoS) will host its first annual Pedro Menendez Awards Gala and Dinner. During the event, which will be held at La Taberna del Albardero, three awards will be presented to members of the Washington, DC community to honor them for the tremendous work they have done to further Spain-DC relations here in the DC area. This year, the Friend of Spain Award will be presented to Don Harris, founder and owner of La Tienda.
The Menendez Friend of Spain Award honors individuals who live and work in the Washington, DC area and have demonstrated through their work a special commitment to promoting Spain and Spanish culture here in the United States.
After serving in Spain during his career as a U.S. Navy Chaplain, Mr. Harris could not forget the impression Spanish food and culture had made on him and his family. This deep connection he felt led him to create La Tienda in 1996. La Tienda is an online store offering the broadest selection of Spanish food and products on the web, including many artisanal and traditional items not previously available outside of Spain. Today, La Tienda has warehouses in Williamsburg, VA and Alicante, Spain, and ships thousands of orders around the US and Canada each month.
Of his selection as the 2009 Menendez Friend of Spain Award Winner, Mr. Harris says, “I truly appreciate The Society of Spain for granting me this award in the name of Admiral Menendez, a naval officer and Spanish explorer. It was as a young naval officer forty years ago that I first discovered Spain and her traditional family-based culture. My admiration for Spain and its culture has only increased as time has passed, and my family and I have been returning ever since. ”
José Andrés, chef/owner of THINKfoodGROUP, the creative team behind DC restaurants such as Café Atlantico, Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel, will present this award. He says of Mr. Harris, “Don is a true pioneer when it comes to bringing Spanish food to the United States. Early on he helped lay the groundwork for others like myself to come to this country and share the food and culture that we all love so much.”
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