Eva Longoria, Ricky Martin to celebrate Latinx essential workers in CBS special

Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Eva Longoria, Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin are set to host the CBS special, Essential Heroes: A Momento Latino Event, on Oct. 26.

"When COVID-19 hit the United States, people were quick to applaud our essential workers, many of whom are Latinos, for helping to keep food on our tables, delivering our packages and working in our healthcare system," Longoria said in a statement Monday. "The Latinx community has been the backbone of this country for hundreds of years, not just the last seven months, and it's time that we not only know our own worth, but are also recognized, appreciated and celebrated accordingly for our contributions, pandemic or not."

The program is expected to include musical performances, comedy bits, interviews and celebrity appearances.

"You can't miss it," Martin tweeted on Monday, along with a link to a story about the event.

Additional participants will be announced closer to the air date, CBS said in a press release.

"We created Momento Latino because we understand the challenges that Latinos in America face every day, and we knew we had to bring together a national infrastructure of opportunity to move the community forward into the future," said Henry R. Muñoz III, founder of Momento Latino.

He added: "We've brought together more than 130 organizations, nonprofits, artists, activists and community leaders so far, and through this special we can share with the nation the inspiring stories of how Latinos served as the backbone of this country's essential workforce throughout the pandemic despite being among the hardest hit by the disease and the economic fallout."