— Co-recipients to be honored Friday for their impact and leadership in the area of children’s health —

The San Diego Padres today announced the recipients of the first of four Hispanic Heritage Comunidad Awards for 2013. Carmen Delgadillo, founder of the Friends of Scott Foundation, and Richard Nares, founder of the Emilio Nares Foundation, have been selected as co-recipients of the award by members of the Padres’ Hispanic Community Leadership Council (HCLC) for their dedication to improving the lives of families and youth, specifically in the area of children’s health. They will be honored before Friday’s 7:10 p.m. game vs. the Washington Nationals.

Delgadillo and her husband, Henry, lost their son, Scott, in 2001, within a year of his leukemia diagnosis. As a result, the Friends of Scott Foundation (FSF) was created 10 years ago, dedicated to helping children with cancer. Delgadillo serves as founder and president of FSF, while also maintaining a full-time career. Approximately 75 percent of the children served by FSF are Hispanic, and Delgadillo communicates with Spanish-speaking parents, while foundation volunteers arrange outings and events for children who are healthy enough to participate. Such outings include trips to Legoland, the San Diego Zoo and various sporting events.

In April, FSF hosted the 7th Annual Unforgettable Prom – a red-carpet event at the San Diego Hall of Champions for teens unable to attend their school prom. FSF also grants wishes for terminally ill children through the Special Dreams program.

Nares and his wife, Diane, founded the Emilio Nares Foundation in 2003, following the loss of their 5-year-old son, Emilio, to leukemia. The Emilio Nares Foundation’s mission is to address the needs of families with children going through cancer treatment. Transportation proved to be the greatest need, with oncology staff at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego estimating at the time that each day approximately four kids missed their treatment because of transportation-related issues.

Nares began driving kids in his own vehicle, eventually launching the Ride With Emilio patient transportation program in 2005. Today, the program provides nearly 3,000 trips for patient families each year. In addition, the Emilio Nares Foundation provides emergency financial support, staffs two Family Resource Centers at Rady Children’s Hospital, provides healthy lunches to families at the hospital, assists families with funeral expenses, and has registered 6,500 new bone marrow donors. Earlier this month, Nares was named a CNN Hero.

“It’s with great pride that we recognize Carmen Delgadillo and Richard Nares – parents who endured personal tragedies and used their grief as a catalyst for change,” said Padres President and CEO Tom Garfinkel. “Their service to our community has positively impacted countless families. These are the kinds of community leaders the Hispanic Heritage Comunidad Awards were designed to honor.”

The Padres’ Hispanic Heritage Comunidad Award series was established in 2012 to recognize and pay tribute to individuals or organizations whose work makes a positive impact on those who live and work in San Diego’s Hispanic community. In support of the Padres Foundation’s community vision, four awards will be given throughout the 2013 season, one each in the areas of children’s health (LIVE), children’s education (LEARN), youth baseball/softball or youth fitness (PLAY) and supporting our law enforcement and military communities (SERVE).

The Padres are now accepting nominations of individuals or organizations who display leadership in the area of children’s education. Nominations may be submitted online at www.padres.com/community and www.padresbeisbol.com/comunidad.