It’s not unprecedented for professional sports to honor those who make outstanding contributions to their community, as Major League Baseball does before the All-Star Game. The NFL will be joining the MLB in that regard as it kicks off the NFL Hispanic Heritage Awards.
The Patriots will give their inaugural NFL Hispanic Heritage Award to Alejandra St. Guillen, executive director of ¿Oiste? The Latino Civic Education Initiative, the Patriots said in a news release.
The NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award is meant to honor Hispanic leaders in the cities of each team. Each of the 32 NFL teams will present an award, and one of the honorees will be chosen to attend the Hispanic Heritage Awards in Washington, D.C., in September.
Thanks in part to Bud Light, which has partnered with the NFL for the awards, each participant will receive $2,000 to give to a local Hispanic organization of his or her choice.
In addition to serving as the executive director of ¿Oiste?, St. Guillen ran the Initiative for Diversity in Civic Leadership, trained candidates for the Massachusetts Democratic Party, and taught in the South Bronx.
The NFL Hispanic Heritage Award will be presented on Sept. 18, when the Patriots face the San Diego Chargers at home for their Hispanic Heritage game.
