Freddy Fender Humanitarian Award recipients announced

FFHA announcement

Joe Medrano of the South Texas Adult Resource and Training (START) Center is shown at the Freddy Fender Museum in San Benito, where he recently announced the winners of this year's Freddy Fender Humanitarian Awards. (Photo by Joe Bocanegra)

By JOE BOCANEGRA
Special to the Parade

The South Texas Adult Resource and Training (START) Center announced the 2011 Freddy Fender Humanitarian Award recipients Friday at the Freddy Fender Museum in San Benito.

The Freddy Fender Humanitarian Awards is an annual fundraiser for the START Center and is designated for those who through various forms promoted humanitarianism throughout the regional community.

The selection for the awards, according to organizers, was difficult.

“We had a rather long list of applicants that we had to go through,” said Ron Rogers, President of the START Center. “Our board of directors had to sift through a lot of them,” he said, adding that there is usually a three-month period taken to make a decision.

“We have applicants submit their paperwork in June,” Rogers said. “Then the directors look through them. We also contact the applicants and ask other questions to help narrow down the list.”

Jose Medrano of the START Center announced the award winners as SpawGlass Contractors for the Service to Community Corporate Award, Clara Bow Williams Zepeda for the Service to Community Individual Award, and KGBT Action 4 News for the Community Pioneer Award.

Laurel Ehsai, Marketing Coordinator for SpawGlass, was excited to get the award.

“We are overwhelmed to get this. We did not expect it,” she said.

KGBT President and CEO Tom Keeler said Channel 4 was humble in its acceptance of the award.

“We’re delighted to have been selected as the recipient of the award, particularly because the START Center and the award represents public service,” Keeler said. “The small contribution we do in the scheme of things… it’s our brand of taking action for you. So to be recognized for something like that is quite an honor and I anticipate we’ll be doing that for quite some time.”

After the announcements, Medrano invited everyone to participate at their awards dinner, which will be, according to Rogers, in Rancho Viejo on Thursday, October 27.

“It will be a very good idea to come over,” Rogers said. He adds that there will be several surprises, including a guest appearance by singer/songwriter Rick Treviño.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.portisabelsouthpadre.com/2011/10/13/freddy-fender-humanitarian-award-recipients-announced/

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