The Hershey Company will present the Vision Award to international musician and philanthropist, Juanes, at the 25th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards (HHAs) on September 15, 2011 at The John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Â With multi-platinum worldwide sales of more than 15 million albums, Juanes has received a GRAMMY and a record-setting 17 LATIN GRAMMYS throughout his career and was recently named Latin Music’s Star of the Decade by Billboard Magazine.
The award recognizes Juanes’ contributions as a global philanthropist and his extensive work through his Fundacion Mi Sangre organization that fights against the use of anti-personnel mines, as well as provides assistance and rehabilitation services to landmine victims.
“Juanes is an artist in every sense of the word. Â His talents extend far and beyond the stage and bright lights. Â It’s refreshing to have an artist of Juanes’ caliber use his voice and platform as a vehicle for change, and most importantly, as an advocate for peace,” said Maria-Esmeralda Paguaga, Executive Producer of the Hispanic Heritage Awards. In addition to his work with Fundacion Mi Sangre, Juanes is a co-founder of the Paz Sin Fronteras (Peace Without Borders) concerts, which seek to unite common citizens across borders and advocate for the continued use of non-violent conflict resolution. Due to his philanthropic work and successful music career, Juanes was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2005.
“The Hershey Company is dedicated to the Latino community and to making positive differences in the communities where we live and work,” said Bert Alfonso, Chief Financial Officer of The Hershey Company. “We applaud Juanes’ outstanding global philanthropic contributions and support the Hispanic Heritage Foundation as we share and celebrate their mission to identify, inspire, prepare and position Latino leaders to make a strong and constructive impact in their environment.”
For more than 100 years, The Hershey Company has been a leader in making a positive difference in the community. The company’s commitment is exemplified by the Milton Hershey School which was founded in 1909 by Milton S. Hershey and serves children in financial and social need by providing them education, housing, food, medical and psychological health care, recreation opportunities and clothing with no financial obligation to the family. Today, approximately 1,800 boys and girls of diverse backgrounds are served by the School.
The Hershey Company is a Medallion Sponsor of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, a leadership organization which honors notable Latinos who have distinguished themselves in various fields and made an impact on America through the Hispanic Heritage Awards. The Awards are considered among the highest honor by Hispanics in the United States. Currently in its 25th year, the annual program was created by the White House in 1987 to establish Hispanic Heritage Month in America. In addition to Juanes, the 2011 Hispanic Heritage Awards Honorees include: Roberto Gomez Bolanos (Legend), Jorge Vergara (Business), Dr. Elizabeth Molina Morgan (Math & Science) and Dr. Juan Andrade (Leadership) among others.