KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Thursday, Centro Hispano held its biggest fundraiser of the year to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month — the Latino Awards.
The awards are a way to honor and celebrate the people and organizations across Knoxville who support the Latino community. Several were nominated in the runup to Thursday's ceremony, and people could vote for who they thought deserved each award.
"There is not one Hispanic identity or Latino identity," said Claudia Caballero from Centro Hispano. "There are many. So it's really important not to generalize and I always like to invite people to ask questions."
There were also different categories of awards. For example, "The Corazón Award" honors restaurants and food trucks that offer food and service that speaks to the heart of Hispanic and Latino culture. "The Latinidad Award" award honors an individual who acted as a catalyst for meaningful change in the Latino community.
Finally, the Comunidad Award goes to an organization in the Knoxville area that goes above and beyond to further opportunities for Latinos and Latinas in the community. Second Harvest, Maryville College and the Knoxville Utilities Board were nominated for it.
The Latino Awards helped raise more than $15,000 for Centro Hispano, according to its website. Anyone who wants to give to the organization can donate online too. The event included food, drinks and music for anyone who attended.