Honoring the Hispanic Heritage Published Oct. 7, 2015 By Makeda Knott 11th Wing Public Affairs JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- Hispanic Heritage month is celebrated annually, September 15-October 15. It was established as a week-long celebration by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, and then extended in 1988, by President Ronald Reagan to become a month long celebration to recognize the heritage and culture. This year's theme is "Honoring our Heritage, Building our Future." September 15th is a significant date within the Latin American community. This date commemorates the independence of five Latin American countries, and a few other countries in the days following. Throughout the nation, the Hispanic heritage is observed by recognizing the contributions of the history, culture and presence of those who hailed from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. At Joint Base Andrews, 1st Lt. Patrick Hennessy and Master Sgt. Juan Zuniga are coordinating this year's events. October 9th will be the Copa Latina Soccer Tournament. Each team will consist of ten players to be a part of the 7 versus 7 tournaments, which will be held at the MPF field, 8a.m.-3p.m. To sign up for the tournament, contact Staff Sgt. Ricardo Reano at 301-981-5090 or Tech. Sgt. Brant Brooks at 301-981-2564. October 15th there will be the "Taste of Latin America" at Andrews Community Commons, at 11a.m. where there will be Latin American inspired dishes. The last event scheduled is the 5K race and Zumba class, October 16th. Sign up begins at 7:30a.m. and the race starts at 7:45a.m., at the West Side Fitness Center. The Zumba class will be led by Ms. Catherine Reed. To find out more about the events please contact Hennessy at 240-612-0844 or Zuniga at 301-981-5550.