Wayne Messam, the Mayor of the City of Miramar in Florida, has declared December 2015 as “Jamaicans.com Month.” The mayor made his announcement during the popular website’s 20th anniversary celebration event in South Florida on December 4, 2015.

In presenting the official proclamation to the website’s founder Xavier Murphy, Mayor Messam said, “Jamaicans.com is a trail-blazing platform informing 250,000 subscribers with invaluable cultural and entertainment information.” He went on to say, “I am honored to declare the month of December as Jamaicans.com Month in Miramar and wish for many more years of success.”

In the proclamation, Jamaicans.com was specifically recognized for its promotion of Jamaican culture, food and people around the world and its audience of 250,000 monthly viewers. The official document went on to state that “the legacy of Xavier Murphy and of Jamaicans.com will be cherished through eternity.”

Jamaicans.com, which launched in 1995, began its 20th anniversary celebration on December 4, 2015, in South Florida, with an event hosted by Calibe Thompson at the Grand Palm Resorts in Pembroke Pines.

On December 10, the party moves to The Ripe Jamaican Restaurant in New York for an event to be hosted by “Jazz,” a long-time community member and writer for Jamaicans.com. The Ripe Restaurant, located at 151 W. Sandford Blvd. in Mount Vernon, New York, is owned by Chef Nigel Spence, who has been featured many times on the Food Network, NBC, and CBS.

Jamaicans.com covers Jamaica and the Caribbean region, and over its 20 years online, has attracted a steadily growing fan base, amassing over 500,000 page views monthly. Additionally, the site has 77,000 followers on social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The site features news, cultural articles, recipes, travel and historical information about Jamaica. It rounds out its offerings with a Patois dictionary. Among its many pioneering activities, Jamaicans.com was the first Jamaican firm to launch a mobile app on the iPhone.

According to founder Murphy makes particular mention of Jamaicans in the Diaspora – those who live outside of Jamaica and have Jamaican ancestry – “Jamaicans.com has always been a hub for those who want learn about Jamaica and people who want to stay in touch with their Jamaican roots. ”

Murphy noted the changes in technology that have occurred over the 20 years the site has continued to enjoy rapid growth, saying he is thankful the site has been able to keep pace with the changes and credited its dedicated visitors, sponsors and partners with making this possible.