At a New Year’s Eve party in 1985, the group decided to create a venue to reunite with friends and family who had also immigrated to the United States. It would bring together those who had been active duty soldiers in Panama in the ‘70s, and who were living on military bases throughout the United States. The following summer (’86) over 200 people attended the first Friendship Reunion in Columbia and Fort Jackson, SC.

In 1987 the reunion was held in Fort Bragg and Fayetteville, NC, and the following year in Fort Benning, GA. and nearby Phoenix City, AL. By 1989, interest in and awareness of the event began to grow beyond the original group of soldiers and their families. Panamanians traveled from El Salvador, Honduras, Barbados, Germany, New York, Texas and the entire Southeast to attend the event, which was once again held in Fayetteville and Fort Bragg, NC. In 1990 and 1991 the reunion was held in El Paso, TX and Miami, FL. respectively.

During the first six years, the reunion was organized and run by the original group of soldiers and their friends, but by 1991 it became apparent that the event appealed to Panamanians all around the country. In 1992 the founders of NPFR decided to collaborate with Panamanian associations that already existed in various cities, as a way to accommodate growing interest in the event. The founding NPFR members stopped organizing each reunion and instead, awarded the weekend to the local Panamanian associations, who planned and implemented the event.

Local associations organized events in Atlanta, GA (’92); Houston, TX (’93); Virginia Beach, VA (’94), Washington D.C. (’95), Tampa Bay, FL (’96); Rochester, NY (’97); and San Diego, CA (’98). Under this new system, reunion participation increased dramatically. However, there was little consistency in the quality of the event. In 1999, in an effort to maintain a consistent standard at reunion weekends, NPFR decided to stop awarding the event to local organizations, and the Board of Directors began planning and overseeing the 4th of July weekend as in the past.

In addition, the National Panamanian Friendship Reunion, Inc. became an official non- profit organization in 1999. A commitment was made to assist Panamanians in the United States, Panama, and abroad, through educational workshops, scholarships and other char- itable donations, funded through reunion revenue. Since that time, reunions have been held in Charlotte, NC (‘99); Houston, TX (’OO); Long Beach, CA (’01); Fort Lauderdale, FL (’02); Brooklyn, NY (’03); Chicago, IL (’04); San Diego, CA (’05); Baltimore, MD (’06); New Orleans, LA (’07); Norfolk, VA (’08); and National Harbor, MD (’09); Gaylord palm Resort, FL (’10), Philadelphia, PA (’11), New Orleans, LA (’12), Miami Bahamas Cruise (’13), Dallas, TX (’14), Atlanta, GA (’15), Brooklyn, NY (’16-'19). Due to Covid-19, the 2020 Reunion was cancelled. Miami, FL (’21-'23), Freedom of the Seas Cruise ('24), Miami, FL ('25).

The National Panamanian Friendship Reunion, Inc. has changed significantly over the past 30+ years. We remain dedicated to using all reunion proceeds to support the Panamanian community and provide scholarships bringing families and friends together to reunite, network, and celebrate Panamanian culture. NPFR thanks you for your patronage and we are appreciative of your continued support.