Five people and one organization will be inducted into the Iowa Latino Hall of Fame during a ceremony tonight at the Des Moines Art Center. According to a news release, the ceremony is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

This year’s honorees include:

• Ralph Jesse Hernandez for his contributions to youth family counseling, mentoring young men and coaching basketball for multiple schools. His efforts include preserving Latino history and traditions, and using music and song as tools to educate and empower young people.

• Dr. Jesús Lizárraga Estrada for his work to increase educational access and attainment by creating new programs to serve students in transition, translating several financial aid sessions, admission presentations and other important documents into Spanish at the University of Northern Iowa. He is also credited for increasing the attendance of the fall Latino Family Visit Day by 63% and implementing the first all-Spanish Spring Latino family visit day at Iowa State University.

• Dr. Elizabeth Mendez-Shannon has advocated for immigrant rights highlighting the resilience and strengths among immigrants, designing the first-ever Spanish for Social Workers, Immigration History, and Latino/a Culture classes at the University of Iowa.

• Sister Irene Muñoz established mobile dental and health clinics in Muscatine, opened a Muscatine Migrant Clinic, and campaigned for Latinos to exercise the right to vote.

• Alfonso Perez as a co-founder of HELPDSM, Rev. Perez has partnered with city, school, and law enforcement organizations to connect urban families with resources and assist families from Des Moines Public Schools with financial assistance. He has transcended ethnicities, political lines and denominational divides, and provided Latino representation where it has been missing.

• Al Éxito is a Des Moines-based nonprofit that supports Latino youths by empowering the next generation of skilled and diverse workforce while creating influential Latino leaders engaged in their communities and partnering with Latino-owned businesses to provide essential skills and opportunities for a greater diverse future.

The Iowa Latino Hall of Fame was established in 2017 to recognize outstanding Iowa Latinos who have worked to improve the quality of life in Iowa and be role models for future Latino leaders. The ceremony comes near the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. It was established by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.