Sixty years of progress: LAUP celebrates founders, looks to future at its 10th annual gala

HOLLAND — Community leaders, supporters and residents gathered at the Holland Civic Center on Friday, Oct. 16, as Latin Americans United for Progress hosted its 10th annual gala, celebrating more than 60 years of service and advocacy for Latino families across West Michigan.

Centering on the theme “Honoring Our Past. Building Our Future,” the sold-out event drew approximately 400 attendees, including community partners and representatives from local organizations, for an evening of reflection, networking, and cultural celebration.

The evening began with registration and a networking happy hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by a dinner featuring a selection of dishes from across Latin America.

Salomon Caballero Jr., vice president of LAUP's board of directors, said he was proud to be part of a robust organization that helps the people it serves.

"Tonight, I encourage you to enjoy the evening, celebrate the accomplishments of those who are recognized, and take pride in being part of something that matters in our community," he said.

The event was emceed by Cynthia Martinez — a Mexican-American filmmaker, journalist and West Ottawa School Board trustee — who released her documentary, "First Voice Generation," in 2025.

Read More: Hope College filmmaker humanizes how immigration policies affect families

Martinez spoke of the struggle she experienced as a Mexican-American child growing up in Holland.

The granddaughter of Mexican migrant farmers, she was the daughter of two teenage parents who worked the fields picking blueberries and other crops to support their young family.

"Nobody knows what it's like to be Mexican-American," Martinez told attendees. "We have to be twice as perfect as everyone else. We have to know John Wayne and Pedro Infante. We have to know Frank Sinatra and Agustín Lara. We have to know Oprah and Cristina.

"Japanese-Americans, German-Americans, Dutch-Americans ... their homeland is on the other side of the ocean, but ours is right next door, and we gotta prove to the Mexicans how Mexican we are, and we gotta prove to the Americans how American we are, and we gotta be more Mexican than the Mexicans, and we gotta be more American than the Americans. That is exhausting," she said.

She said that is why organizations like LAUP are so critical to supporting Latinos in West Michigan to acclimate and thrive.

"Tonight we're here to raise some funds for some incredible programs, which we're going to hear about tonight. Those programs — what LAUP stands for — are advocacy, education, and cultural celebration," she said. "For 62 years, Lao has been a place where people find support, opportunity, connection, and a sense of belonging."

The program included live music from MexiCuba and a public silent auction featuring sports memorabilia from the Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers to raise funds for the organization's year-round operations.

The organization also presented awards to its key community partners, including Zeeland-based Gentex Corp. for community partnership and Hope College for community activism.

The evening's central milestone was the presentation of the inaugural Tino Reyes Legacy Award, established in memory of Celestino “Tino” Reyes Sr., a primary architect of Ottawa County's Latino civil rights infrastructure who died in March 2026 at age 89.

In 1964, Reyes helped establish LAUP (originally founded as the Latin American Society) and served as its first president. Alongside his wife, Lupita, and three fellow community members, Reyes helped lay the organization's foundation during early meetings at their home to address systemic barriers to housing, employment, and education facing Latino families.

Beyond co-founding LAUP, Reyes spent decades building local civic institutions, serving on numerous boards and community councils while working for 37 years at the H.J. Heinz Co.

Known as a patriarch and pioneer of Holland's Latino community, he routinely advocated for working families and mentored emerging leaders behind the scenes.

Read More: Patriarch, pioneer of Holland’s Latino community, Celestino ‘Tino’ Reyes Sr., dies at 89

LAUP Executive Director Alejandra Guillén said the new award was created to recognize individuals who embody Reyes' lifelong commitment to community service.

“I think the legacy that our founders are leaving is not just what they leave behind, but it's also how they inspire the next generation to continue that work,” Guillén told FOX-17 earlier this week. “And looking in the future is ensuring that we can continue to sustain, we can continue building, growing, expanding, and reaching more families in need.”

For Lupita Reyes, who recalled her late husband as a steadfast leader who urged others to take center stage while he worked behind the scenes, the tribute marked a deeply emotional moment.

“When I found that out, I cried, because finally someone's going to recognize the person that needs to be recognized,” Reyes told FOX-17.

Organizers noted that community support was instrumental in carrying out the milestone event.

“We’ve been blessed with the generosity of many donors who have contributed to making this event special, including donations of desserts, coffee, and more,” LAUP spokesperson Maurizio Garreffa told ONN. “We’re truly grateful for the support of our community.”

— Sarah Leach is the executive editor of the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at sleach@ottawanewsnetwork.org. Follow her on Twitter @ONNLeach. ONN reporter Mallory Burt is a reporter for Ottawa News Network. Contact her at newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org contributed to this article.