Area residents are invited to attend the upcoming Diversity Awards celebration scheduled for September 21 at 8:30 a.m. in the Walb International Ballroom on the Purdue University Fort Wayne campus.

Cost to attend is FREE and a light breakfast is provided. Residents should RSVP by visiting www.WelcomingFW.org and clicking on the Diversity Awards menu item.

The Diversity Awards Breakfast is designed to honor the contributions of local immigrants and refugees, as well as the organizations and individuals who support them. The event will honor individuals and organizations in six categories: Positive Role Model, Community Organization, Entrepreneur of Excellence, Diverse Company of the Year, Lifetime Achiever and Youth Leader.

The event is affiliated with Welcoming Fort Wayne, a local non-profit dedicated to promoting immigrant immigration. Organizations supporting the Diversity Awards Breakfast include: Welcoming Fort Wayne, Purdue University Fort Wayne, the City of Fort Wayne, Amani Family Services, Trinity English Lutheran Church, the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation, The YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne, Friends of the Third World, Associated Churches, Fort Wayne Community Schools, Catholic Charities and Many Nations Church.

The Diversity Awards Breakfast will cap off a week of events celebrating Welcoming Week, which is recognized in cities across the United States during the week of September 14 – 23. Welcoming Week’s purpose is to bring together immigrants, refugees and native-born residents to raise awareness of the benefits of welcoming everyone in our communities.