September 14, 2011
NFL, Hispanic Heritage Foundation And Bud Light Launch NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards
Presented by Bud Light, 32 Hispanic Leaders Recognized During Hispanic Heritage Month in Every NFL Market
The NFL, Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) and Bud Light have partnered to launch the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards Presented by Bud Light during the 2011 celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The awards recognize the contributions of Hispanic leaders in each NFL market.
Each award recipient will be recognized in-stadium at a Hispanic Heritage game in their local market.
The New York Giants award recipient, Lillian RodrÃguez López, president of the Hispanic Federation, has been selected by the NFL and HHF to be recognized during HHF's prestigious 25th Hispanic Heritage Awards at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 15. The Hispanic Heritage Awards honor notable Latinos who have distinguished themselves in various fields and made an impact on America and globally. The Awards are considered the highest honor by Hispanics for Hispanics in America and serve to kick off HHF's year-round leadership programs. In 2011, the Hispanic Heritage Awards mark their 25th Anniversary, which is also the anniversary of Hispanic Heritage Month in America. Bud Light is the Official Beer of the Hispanic Heritage Awards.
With support from Bud Light, each award recipient will select an organization of their choice that serves the local Hispanic community to receive a $2,000 donation. Bud Light has been a longtime supporter of the Hispanic community and has contributed more than $64 million to Hispanic organizations since 1982.
"Together with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and Bud Light, we are proud to recognize a leader in each NFL market during Hispanic Heritage Month," said Peter O'Reilly, NFL vice president of fan strategy and marketing. "We are excited to honor individuals who are an inspiration in their local Hispanic communities, as well as give them an opportunity to assist an organization that is important to them with a donation."
"We are thrilled to partner with the NFL and Bud Light to honor Hispanic leaders who are making an impact on communities all over America," said Jose Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of HHF. "It is important to highlight their leadership not only in the traditional Latino regions but in the burgeoning areas as well. The NFL and Bud Light made sure that beyond the recognition there was a community investment through the donations. There is no better way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month than to make a difference in the Latino community."
"Bud Light is recognizing 32 great leaders with this award," said Margarita Flores, vice president of community affairs for Anheuser-Busch. "We applaud all the recipients for their work in making a difference in and improving their local communities."
The NFL will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month during Week 3 of the 2011 season. A national spotlight will be shined on the NFL's celebration during Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football. The Pittsburgh Steelers face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, September 25 and the Washington Redskins take on the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, September 26.
The 2011 NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards recipients are:
Arizona Cardinals: Anthony Robles, NCAA champion wrestler for Arizona State University, despite being born with only one leg.
Atlanta Falcons: Rudy Beserra, Vice President of Latin Affairs, Coca Cola Company.
Baltimore Ravens: Luis Borunda, Founder and President, USHYEE.
Buffalo Bills: Ralph Hernandez, President and West District representative for the Buffalo Board of Education.
Carolina Panthers: Andrea Bazán, one of North Carolina's leading advocates for Hispanic and Latino causes.
Chicago Bears: Juan Rangel, CEO of the United Neighborhood Organization.
Cincinnati Bengals: Fernando Aguirre, Chairman and CEO of Chiquita Brands International.
Cleveland Browns: Stephanie Mercado, Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Dallas Cowboys: Adelfa Callejo, Partner at Callejo and Callejo. First Hispanic woman to graduate from the SMU Dedman School of Law.
Denver Broncos: Mario Carrera, An accomplished senior executive with top rated media sales, television, radio and online properties.
Detroit Lions: Harvey Santana, Member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing the Detroit-based 10th district.
Green Bay Packers: Ricardo Diaz, Executive Director of the United Community Center.
Houston Texans: Benny Agosto, Partner with Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend. President of the Hispanic National Bar Association.
Indianapolis Colts: Henry L. Fernandez, Executive Director of USA Funds.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Edith A. Perez, M.D., Deputy Director of Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.
Kansas City Chiefs: Cici Rojas, Vice President of Community Engagement at the Truman Medical Center.
Miami Dolphins: Dr. Pedro José Greer, Founder of the Camillus Health Concern. Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at the Florida International University School of Medicine.
Minnesota Vikings: Ramon Leon, Founding President/CEO of Latino Economic Development Center.
New England Patriots: Alejandra St. Guillen, Executive Director of ¿Oiste? The Latino Civic Education Initiative.
New Orleans Saints: Anna Frachou, Interim Executive Director of Puentes New Orleans.
New York Giants: Lillian RodrÃguez López, President of the Hispanic Federation.
New York Jets: Ricardo Fernández, President of Lehman College.
Oakland Raiders: Michael Torres, Principal, CEO and portfolio manager at Adelante Capital Management.
Philadelphia Eagles: Angel Cruz, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the Philadelphia-based 180th district.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Victor Diaz, President of Videotek Construction. CEO of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
St. Louis Rams: Col. Jaime Torres, U.S. Air Force
San Diego Chargers: Ruben Barrales, President and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
San Francisco 49ers: Oscar and Marco Garcia, Co-founders of Mesa de la Comunidad.
Seattle Seahawks: Roberto Maestas, Co-founded El Centro de La Raza and served as director for 36 years.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Francisco J. Sánchez, Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Tennessee Titans: Renata Soto, Co-founder and Executive Director of Conexión Américas.
Washington Redskins: Guillermo Enrique Lopez, Senior Manager, Sponsorships and Customer Events, Verizon.
Editor''s Note: Click here to view the release in Spanish.
About Anheuser-Busch:
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.3 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers. The company brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer. Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com
About the Hispanic Heritage Foundation:
Since 1987, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) has inspired, identified, prepared and positioned Latino leaders. There call to action is to "help a Latino help a hundred more." Please visit www.HispanicHeritage.org for more information.
# # #
Press Contacts
Media@anheuser-busch.com is a single point of contact for journalists. If you are a member of the press and have an exclusively news-related inquiry, please direct it to this address. For other questions or requests, please click here.
