Eva Longoria Parker to Be Honored at MALDEF 35th Annual Los Angeles Awards Gala

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20091109006712/en

Celebrating Visionaries, Making a Difference!
LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
On Thursday, November 12, 2009, at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel, the Mexican
American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) will host the 35th Annual
Los Angeles Awards Gala to recognize civic leaders and corporate citizens for
their extraordinary achievement in promoting and protecting the civil rights of
the Latino community.

Eva Longoria Parker will be honored with the Community Service Award for her
commitment to Latino civil rights and activism. Ms. Longoria Parker is the
founder of Eva`s Heroes, a charity that helps developmentally disabled children.
For years, she has been a supporter and top charitable contributor to several
Latino and civil rights organizations around the country, such as the United
Farm Workers of America and the Dolores Huerta Foundation. She is an executive
producer of Shine Global Inc.`s upcoming documentary, The Harvest, which sheds
light on the exploitation of 500,000 child migrant farm workers in the United
States. She is a dedicated supporter of many other organizations, including
PADRES Contra el Cancer and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Most recently, Ms.
Longoria Parker was appointed to the National Museum of the American Latino
Commission which will study the potential creation of a national museum in
Washington, D.C. dedicated to portraying the art, culture, and history of the
Latino Community in the United States.

Special guest presenters will include Antonia Hernandez, Dolores Huerta, José
José, Keisha Whitaker, Lupe Ontiveros and many more. A special performance will
be given by Nydia Rojas, and Giselle Fernandez will serve as the Mistress of
Ceremonies. Amid the festivities MALDEF will also celebrate the return of Thomas
A. Saenz to MALDEF in his new role as President and General Counsel.

"For over 40 years, MALDEF has served as the law firm for the Latino community,
safeguarding the civil rights of Latinos living in the United States and
encouraging their full participation in the American democratic process. It
gives me great pleasure to celebrate this tremendous milestone in the
organization`s history by honoring individuals who exemplify our mission,"
stated Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF President and General Counsel.

Anthony Solana Jr. will receive the Excellence in Legal Service Award. As a
founding member of the National Latina/o Law Student Association, and
Chairperson of the Equal Justice Society and For People of Color, Inc., Solana
has been an advocate for the diversification of the legal profession, opening
the doors for more lawyers.

Dr. Rodolfo Acuña will be honored with the MALDEF Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. Acuña is a pioneering Latino scholar whose many works on the U.S. Latino
experience have made him a leading voice in our nation`s Latino movement. As
Professor of Chicano Studies at California State University at Northridge,
Dr.Acuña also directs his time and energy to building our community`s future
leaders.

Anheuser Busch Companies will be recognized with the Corporate Social
Responsibility Award for their dedication to the Latino community`s future. For
the past three decades, Anheuser Busch has been the largest corporate
contributor in fund-raising efforts for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF).
Since its inception, HSF has raised more than $23 million and awarded more than
18,000 scholarships to Latino students nationwide.

WHAT: MALDEF 35th ANNUAL LOS ANGELES AWARDS GALA

WHO: THOMAS A. SAENZ, MALDEF President and General Counsel

HONOREES:
Eva Longoria Parker, COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Anheuser Busch Cos, CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD
Anthony Solana Jr., EXCELLENCE IN LEGAL SERVICE AWARD
Dr. Rodolfo Acuña, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

WHEN: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
6:00 p.m. - Reception
7:00 p.m. - Gala & Program

WHERE: The Westin Bonaventure Hotel
404 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 624-1000

TO PURCHASE TICKETS VISIT WWW.MALDEF.ORG.

To schedule interviews with the awardees, please contact Laura Rodriguez at
(310) 956-2425 or at lrodriguez@rabengroup.com.

Founded in 1968, MALDEF, the nation`s leading Latino legal civil rights
organization, promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through litigation,
advocacy, community education and outreach, leadership development, and higher
education scholarships. For more information on MALDEF, please visit:
www.maldef.org

for MALDEF
Laura Rodriguez, 310-956-2425
or
Cynthia Gutierrez, 213-236-3752

Copyright Business Wire 2009