Singer/actor Ricky Martin will be the guest of honor at a fundraiser for the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture.

The 10th Raices Gala will take place at Galleria Marchetti, 825 W. Erie St., on Thursday, Sept. 14, 6-9 p.m.

Martin will receive the National Ceiba Award. The award celebrates the heritage and contributions of the Puerto Rican community in the United States; past recipients include Rita Moreno, Jimmy Smits, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Antonio Martorell.

In addition to his successful careers as a musician and actor, in 2004, Martin founded the Ricky Martin Foundation, which believes that all rights are human rights, and works to combat human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.

The annual Raices Gala is the largest fundraising event of the year for the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, with proceeds supporting the museum's year-round mission to keep its exhibitions free and accessible to the public while promoting and preserving Puerto Rican art, culture and history as well as furthering the museum's humanitarian efforts in Puerto Rico.

This won't be Martin's only visit to Chicago in the near future. He, Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull are slated to perform at the United Center on Wed.-Thursday, Nov. 1-2, as part of their Trilogy Tour.

More information about the gala is at Website Link Here .

—Andrew Davis