African Ambassador Christen the Spirit of Malabo in New York

Online, August 26, 2013 (Newswire.com) - With scenic East River as a backdrop and The United Nations International School (UNIS) as its nearest neighbor, the Skyport Marina located on 23rd Street and the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive played host for the christening of the Spirit of Malabo on Friday.

In a historic first, the Honorable Marty Markowitz, Borough President of Brooklyn and the Honorable Ruben Diaz, Jr. Bronx Borough President proclaimed the Spirit of Malabo Day in their respective boroughs. The christening was also designed to coincide with the United Nations International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.

In a gesture of African solidarity, H.E. Anatolio Ndong Mba, Equatorial Guinea Ambassador to the UN asked H.E. Kelebone Maope, Ambassador and Permanent Representative for the Kingdom of Lesotho to the UN to christen the Spirit of Malabo on the pier. Just moments later, Victor Mooney kissed the Spirit of Malabo as the Equatorial Guinea Ambassador to the UN, bowed his head in affirmation.

After the ceremony, Mooney rowed back the World's Fair Marina in Flushing, Queens where he'll resume his training. The rower looks to intensify his training for the next thirty days before the weather breaks. "I just have the time to focus on training and testing the equipment on board to make sure everything is in working order", said Mooney at the Skyport Marina.

If things work out, Mooney will fly into the capital of Malabo from New York via Madrid for a few days before re-joining the Spirit of Malabo in Las Palmas, Canary Islands in November. The 5,000 mile transatlantic row to New York's Brooklyn Bridge is expected to take between six to eight months.

The Goree Challenge Project core mission is to raise the awareness of HIV/AIDS. The project will also mobilize the Diaspora and others to help the United Nations permanent memorial for the transatlantic slave trade become a reality. For more information, visit goreechallenge.com.