Cathedral City Councilmember Rita Lamb will receive a 2026 Peace Day Award at the 21st annual International Day of Peace Awards Ceremony on Monday, September 21, 2026.
Lamb is being recognized for her longstanding advocacy on behalf of veterans and for her work on the City Council to make Cathedral City safer, more prosperous and more united. She previously received the “Friend of the Veteran Award” and served as keynote speaker at the 2024 ceremony.
The ceremony begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Joshua Tree Room at Miracle Springs Resort, 10625 Palm Drive in Desert Hot Springs. Admission is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.
Held annually since 2006, the ceremony is co-sponsored by Jon Castro Veterans for Peace Chapter 19 and Frank Moulton AMVETS Post 66 of Palm Springs. Peace Day Awards will also be presented to Rancho Mirage Mayor Lynn Mallotto, Mark Westwood, Janet Weil, Faye Chow and Barbra Matis. Keynote remarks will be delivered by Gold Star Mother Vickie Castro of Corona and the Very Rev. Fr. Mark E. Kotlarczyk, pastor of St. Mary of the Valley Church in Yucca Valley.
The International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, setting aside a shared date each year for individuals, organizations and nations to commit to practical acts of peace. The 2026 global theme is “Invest in Peace — For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”
For questions about the ceremony, contact event organizer Tom Swann Hernandez at (760) 324-5670 or tomswannhernandez@earthlink.net.
