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The event also marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the U.N. Charter on June 26, 1945.
At 10:30 a.m., there will be a brief welcoming ceremony at the Saugatuck School with U.N. senior officials and many political leaders, including U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Under Secretary-General Joseph Verner Reed, according to a press release.
Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe and United Nations Association President Bill Hass will welcome the guests, according to a press release.
The annual event was established in 1965 by the late Westport resident Ruth Steinkraus Cohen, private secretary to former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and founder of the United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut, in observance of the signing of the UN charter.
On Saturday, the flags of many of the 193 members of the United Nations will fly on the Westport Post Road bridge named in Cohen's honor.
The day’s main purpose is to promote world peace and international understanding through friendly interaction between U.N. visitors and their Connecticut hosts, according to a press release.
As part of the event, there will be several sporting and recreational events, including a soccer match between the U.N. team and the local Westport Knights, a tennis tournament and an organized day of golf at Longshore Golf Course.
Area residents are welcome to volunteer in set-up, food-preparation and decorations, and photographers are needed at all venues, according to a press release. Servers are needed for breakfast and lunch, and hospitality volunteers are needed at Longshore. For those who like to pitch in behind the scenes, a clean -up crew also is needed.
To volunteer, contact Andrea Dostal at (203)-526-3275 or Andreasusa@yahoo.com.
For more information, contact Michaela MacColl at (203)-227-9461 or Bill Hass at (203)-454-7685.
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