Washington D.C. [USA], July 13 : Singer Ariana Grande is now officially the first honorary citizen of Manchester. According to E! Online, the City council of Manchester decided to name the 24-year-old as the honorary citizen following her work stemming from the bombing at her Manchester Arena concert on May 22.
Council leader Richard Leese told council members ahead of the vote, "It would have been understandable if [Grande] had never wanted to see this place again.
But she determined she would not to perform again until she had returned to Manchester. In doing so, she brought comfort to thousands, [and] she raised millions for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund." Adding, "[That's why] I propose Ariana Grande is made the first honorary citizen of the city of Manchester." The city announced the plan to make the 'side by side' hit-maker an honorary citizen last month following her 'One Love Manchester' benefit concert in early June, which reportedly raised millions for the victims of the terror attack that killed 22 people and injured many more.
At the time, Manchester town hall officials said they wanted to honor Grande's "great many selfless acts and demonstrations of community spirit." Grande promised her fans she would stay strong for them following the bombing, releasing several powerful statements after the attack.
Source: ANI
