NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans have selected Mercedes Almaraz as the recipient of the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award, a recognition made possible through the support of Bud Light.
The NFL and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) have partnered for the second annual NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards Presented by Bud Light during the 2012 celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The awards recognize the contributions of Hispanic leaders in each NFL market.
The Titans will honor Almaraz on September 23 at their Hispanic Heritage game when they face the Detroit Lions.
Almaraz is a family hero. She came from Mexico with a 6th grade education and a suitcase full of dreams of a brighter future for herself and her family. Thanks to her hard work and dedication, she achieved a big part of her American Dream last year: seeing her oldest daughter be the first in her family to graduate from high school and enroll in college, an accomplishment only achieved thanks to her steadfast involvement in her children's school and making education a priority. Almaraz is also a community hero. She gives back to the community that has welcomed her and her family by volunteering with local nonprofit organizations, in her church, and most importantly, in her children's schools. Believing in the power of education, for more than five years, she has been teaching and mentoring other Latino parents in Nashville's public schools on how to be engaged in their children's education so that they can successfully graduate from high school. Although she did not have the opportunity to reach high school, she devotes her time to empowering other parents like her who have similar hopes for their children.
With support from Bud Light, each award recipient will select an organization of their choice that serves the local Hispanic community to receive a $3,000 donation.
"Bud Light is recognizing 32 great leaders in each of the 32 NFL cities 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."
Almaraz has chosen the Parents as Partners Program at Conexión Américas to receive this donation. Conexión Américas was founded in 2002 to address some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities created by recent demographic changes in our region as an increasing number of Latino families come to Tennessee in search for a better quality of life. Every spring and fall through a partnership between the local Metro Schools and Conexión Américas, Almaraz leads interactive role-playing workshops at targeted schools, creating a space for other parents to come together and learn about the U.S. school system; meet school administrators; gain insights into their child's emotional, social, and intellectual development; and network with other parents to discover common challenges, assets and aspirations. She instills in other parents the confidence to reclaim their role as their child's most important teacher, in spite of the cultural and educational barriers they may face.
Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch have been a longtime friend and partner of the Latino community, enriching people's lives by supporting organizations that make a positive difference. In the past two decades alone, grants and contributions in support of the Latino community have totaled more than $64 million.
The NFL will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month during Week 3 of the 2012 season. A national spotlight will be shined on the NFL's celebration during Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football. The New York Giants take on the Carolina Panthers on Thursday, Sept. 20, the New England Patriots face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Sept. 23 and the Green Bay Packers take on the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, Sept. 24.
About Anheuser-Busch
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 47.7 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers. The company brews Budweiser and Bud Light, two of the world's largest-selling beers. 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.
