Nominations open for Hispanic Achievement Awards

Nominations are being accepted through Sept. 18 for the 2008 Hispanic Achievement Awards, which recognizes those in the community who have made a significant contribution to improving life in Lee County and bridging the differences between cultures.

Awards will be presented in seven categories: Elementary Student of the Year, Middle School Student of the Year, High School/College Student of the Year, Educator of the Year, Ministry of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Employee of the Year and Business Organization of the Year.

The banquet will be held Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater. To purchase tickets or to receive a nomination form, e-mail Luis Rivera at Luis.Rivera@henlaw.com, or call (239) 344-1533. Tickets are $25 and include a full buffet dinner.

The awards — sponsored by the Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board — recognize those persons who project a positive image of the Hispanic community on a daily basis, while overcoming cultural, language, economic, health or other barriers. As effective communication is more than speaking the same language, the awards also honor those persons who open lines of communication and bridge the differences between cultures.

The Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board of Lee County was established in 1991 and serves as an advisory group to the Board of Lee County Commissioners. The board identifies and evaluates problems unique to the Hispanic community, reviews and recommends ways to ensure open communication between the Hispanic community and Lee County government, and promotes and fosters a better understanding of the problems facing the Hispanic community.