Five years after the tragic death of musician and community leader Joaquin Rivera, the first tribute in his honor will take place on Sept. 24 in North Philly.

“It is extremely important to keep the memory of Joaquin alive because he is a person that inspired many of us. He worked so that people around him could get ahead, and for Latinos in Philadelphia to have a voice,” said Yesenia Alejandro-Cruz, member of the organizing committee.

The event will consist of a religious service, followed by a reception, an art exhibit, a silent auction and a presentation about his legacy.

The exhibit will feature visual artists like Betsy Casañas, Danny Torres, Alberto Becerra and David Cruz, among others, who will show pieces that portray or were inspired by the work of Rivera in the community.

“Los Pleneros del Batey”, the traditional Puerto Rican music group that Rivera directed and composed music for for almost 30 years, will be in charge of paying a musical tribute along with “Los Bomberos de la Calle”.

Rev. Roger Zepernick, director of Urban Ministry, and Rev. Jose Díaz-Martinez, of Christ Church & St. Ambrose, will present the award “Soy Quien Soy” to Johnny Irrizary. The award was established in honor of Rivera, and this is its inaugural year.

“We want to present the award to someone who represents the spirit of Joaquin and who has the same goals he had for the Latino community,” Alejandro-Cruz said.

She added that the name of the award, which means “I am who I am” in Spanish, represents people who have worked for the community and who have become who they are in part due to Rivera’s influence.

During the event, a proclamation will be presented by the Mayor of Cayey, Puerto Rico, Rivera’s hometown, as well as two more by State Rep. Angel Cruz and Council member María Quioñones-Sánchez.

The tribute is another in a long list of efforts to keep the memory of Rivera alive.

In 2010, the “Desfile del Pueblo,” which was founded by Rivera to commemorate the discovery of Puerto Rico, was dedicated to him.

Taller Puertorriqueño presented the “Joaquin Rivera Service Award” to Susan Langmuir during its 35th anniversary gala, and this year it will present the award for the second time during its 40th anniversary celebration.

Additionally, the community along with Rivera’s son, Joaquin Rivera Jr., created a fund to give five annual scholarships in his name to students from Olney High School, where Rivera worked for 22 years.

His legacy has even made it to Broadway after it inspired Quiara Alegria Hudes, the Puerto Rican Pulitzer prize-winning playwright from Philly, for her play “The Happiest Song Plays Last.”

Rivera died on Nov. 29, 2009, in the emergency waiting room of Aria Health Frankford Hospital, where he arrived at midnight to be checked for a chest pain and was left in the waiting room unattended.

He had already been dead for an hour in the waiting room when he was robbed by trio of homeless drug addicts, as recorded by security cameras.

The incident shocked the community and Rivera’s family, who sued the hospital and won.

Since his death, leaders in the Latino community have searched for ways to memorialize the legacy of Rivera with a mural or a statue.

Despite the fact that their efforts haven’t yet led to a permanent memorial, those who hope to keep his memory alive say that perhaps Fairhill Park or a street in North Philly could one day be named after him.

Meanwhile, the North Philly community is getting ready to celebrate its first tribute event on Sept. 24, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., at Christ Church & St. Ambrose (600 W. Venango St.) where Rivera was a parishioner for 22 years. Tickets for the reception are $25. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/mew8t98