The City of Henderson named Eric Umali as Henderson’s 2021 Heart of the City Award Honoree during tonight’s City Council Meeting.
Mayor Debra March presented the award to Martial Arts Instructor Eric Umali.
Umali, an 11-time nominee for this year’s Heart of the City Award, is the founder, owner, executive director and head instructor of Altruist MMA, a non-profit martial arts school that strives to help the Henderson community.
The nominations detailed how Umali turned his Altruist MMA gym into a non-profit organization in May 2020 to emphasize his belief in the importance of giving back to the community. Through community partnerships, Umali can provide additional no-cost services to children and adults who can benefit from Altruist MMA’s training programs in addition to tuition-free scholarships.
Umali motivates and encourages his students to find ways to give back to their community each month and has established the performance of good deeds as a requirement to be promoted to a new rank in the gym’s martial arts belt system.
The City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department sponsors the Heart of the City Award through its Be Kind initiative created in 2014 to promote kindness citywide.
For more information about the Heart of the City awards, visit cityofhenderson.com/bekind.
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