Washington, DC– The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., will honor Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Representative Hilda Solis (D-CA) at the 2008 NCLR Capital Awards gala on Tuesday, March 4 at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.

Representative Diaz-Balart and Representative Solis will be recognized for their tireless efforts to preserve and expand education and health opportunities for Latino and immigrant families. NCLR will also present the Public Service Award to Univision Communications Inc., the nation’s leading Spanish-language media company, for its outstanding commitment to educating and empowering our community as a leader in the national citizenship and civic engagement campaign, ya es hora.

The black-tie gala is open to members of the public who have reserved tickets in advance; prices range from $350 per individual ticket to $10,000 for a Premiere Sponsorship table. The gala begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., which is followed by the awards program and dinner at 6:50 p.m. Valet parking is available for $15. Gala entrance is wheelchair accessible. For tickets or table sponsorships, contact (800) 311-NCLR or sponsorships@nclr.org.

MEDIA ADVISORY

News media should contact Jacqueline Pacheco at (202) 785-1670 or jpacheco@nclr.org. To reserve a ticket or table sponsorship for the 2007 NCLR Capital Awards gala, please call (800) 311-NCLR or email sponsorships@nclr.org.