BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Beaming with cultural pride, the ceremony’s awardees raised a yellow, blue and red bandera, the flag of Colombia, to accept awards for their work in the Latino community.
The celebration was part of Fiesta Colombia, the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley’s annual gala and fundraising event.
Each year, the gala brings together the community to honor individuals, high school students and corporate partners who have made outstanding contributions to improving the quality of life of Latinos.
The gala was held Friday night at Wind Creek Event Center.
It served as a fundraiser and as a thank you to the volunteers of the Fourth Street Center, which was founded in 1968 in Bethlehem.
WFMZ-TV broadcasters Perla Lopez and Jaciel Cordoba served as the emcees at the celebration, which featured a cocktail reception, live music by Talento Local, HCLV’s joyful senior performing group, and a silent auction.
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LehighValleyNews.com
‘Mi Encanto Colombia’
Among this year’s recipients were the Lehigh University College of Arts & Sciences and Zoellner Arts Center, and Lehigh University Art Galleries, both of which received the Friends of HCLV awards; and Highmark Health, which received the Community Partnership Award.
Aurea Ortiz, host of WDIY 88.1’s “Charla Communitaria,” was the recipient of the President’s Award.
The 2025 Unsung Heroes nominees honored were Duvan Cano, Ginna Corado, Michelle Rios-Araque and Diana Valencia-Martinez.
Throughout the night, guests dined on savory dishes from Colombia, such as la lechona (rice, shredded pork, and peas), bandeja paisa (chorizo sausage, steak, and chicharrón), and sopa de ajiaco Colombiano (braised chicken, corn-on-the-cob, potatoes sautéed in heavy cream).
The culturally rich South American country was 2025’s theme for the fiesta, which rotates each year and honors the nationalities of HCLV board members and staff.
Past countries included Ecuador in 2023 and the Dominican Republic in 2024.
To kick off the celebration, HCLV staff walked into the ballroom carrying Colombian flags as the music of singer Shakira, who hails from Barranquilla on the country’s Caribbean coast, played in the background.
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LehighValleyNews.com
Talento Local’s dancers then performed a dance number set to the Colombian singer Carlos Vives’ “Colombia, Mi Encanto.”
Proceeds from the gala and fundraiser will go toward HCLV’s food pantry program, the Basilio Huertas Senior Center, the St. Luke’s HOPE Clinic, the Cultural and Linguistic Workforce Development Center, and its college scholarship program.
Parcero pride
As he approached the podium to receive his Unsung Hero award, Cano draped his Colombian flag over his shoulder and held it up with his fellow Colombian recipients, Rios-Araque and Valencia-Martinez.
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LehighValleyNews.com
Cano moved to the United States nine years ago from Venecia, a small town two hours from Medellin.
In Medellín, Cano worked in human resources for a telecommunications company, where he advocated for its 15,000 employees.
Cano said it was his grandmother, Berta, now 98, who inspired him to pursue a career in social services.
“When I was in high school, I was looking for something to study,” he said. “I thought maybe medicine.
“But my grandmother, Berta, told me to pursue sociology, because she knew I wanted to help people. She knew I would be good at supporting those who do not have a voice.”
After emigrating to the United States, Cano, who holds a master’s degree from Colombia, studied English at Allentown’s Donley Center (part of Lehigh Carbon Community College) and later worked as an English-as-a-second-language teacher.
At the gala, he was honored for that work and his current role as a tenant advocate with Community Action Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem.
“They need a voice too, and often I will check back in with them, because I know they are lonely and need to feel heard.”
Duvan Cano, Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley award reciepient
Often, he said, he serves as a liaison between Spanish speakers and landlords.
“There’s a lot that we are trying to do at the agency because we’ve found that for Latinos who are moving to this country, sometimes they call us because they have a problem with their landlord,” he said.
“But it’s not a problem, it’s just a communication barrier.”
He said he also found that 49% of the tenants he serves are seniors living alone.
“They need a voice too, and often I will check back in with them, because I know they are lonely and need to feel heard,” he said.
Cano said he hopes to expand the tenant advocacy program in Allentown and Easton, where the Latino population is growing.
Scholarships for students
In partnership with the PM Foundation, two high school students, Damaris Rosado, a senior at Freedom High School, and Andreya Zeitner, of Holy Redeemer High School, were awarded $4,000 each in scholarships.
In April, HCLV announced a merger with the Latino Leadership Alliance, a move that let the Fourth Street center provide scholarships to high school students.
“The collaboration enables a powerful synergy,” Guillermo Lopez said Friday.
“It allows the Hispanic Center to extend its incredible reach to our future leaders while simultaneously providing our Latino Leadership Alliance with a sustainable framework for our advocacy and scholarship initiatives.”
Micaela Hood
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LehighValleyNews.com
Additional scholarship recipients will be named at HCLV’s “Nuestro Futuro” breakfast.
Building up the community
Joseph Marte, development manager at HCLV, said the merger lets the center, a hub for health and social programs for seniors and families, expand its mission to assist college-bound youth.
“When I was going to college, I had very few resources, and to have available for students, I think it’s amazing,” Marte said.
According to Marte, last year’s gala raised $108,000 for the Hispanic Center.
The money raised this year will go toward HCLV’s social programs and annual events for youth, such as its back-to-school supplies giveaway on Aug. 18.
More recently, HCLV and Comcast teamed up for a resume-building workshop for job seekers.
At the event, Comcast donated $30,000 and 50 laptops to support HCLV’s efforts to further its local workforce development.
“I was raised by my mom and my sister, and growing up we didn’t have much,” Marte said. “She raised us like a queen and told us never to give up.
“It’s the same feeling when I meet families who come through our doors.
“It’s important that we spread the word so that we can continue to provide them with resources, whether it’s a meal, a job, or even just a friendly face.”
To learn more about HCLV’s programs and ways to volunteer, visit their website.
