Don Francisco Gets His Star.

Don Mario Kreutzberger, better known as “Don Francisco,” will now have his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. To date, 2,170 stars have been awarded to different celebrities from the entertainment world. Among the Hispanics who share this great honor are Cristina Saralegui, Mario Moreno “Cantinflas,” Julio Iglesias, Plácido Domingo, Vicente Fernández, Luis Miguel, Tito Puentes and Celia Cruz. Don Francisco is the first Chilean and South American to receive such an important distinction.

This unique award is as coveted as are the prestigious Grammy, Oscar, Emmy, Golden Mike and Tony awards in their respective categories. It is also a very peculiar prize, as the recipient cannot take it home with him; the star remains on the sidewalk so that all the fans, tourists and passersby can see it 24 hours a day, 365 days a week.

Friends, relatives, and an army of celebrities, onlookers and media will be present on the very important day when Don Francisco unveils the star bearing his name. The Sábado Gigante cameras will capture every moment of the exciting event for viewers to enjoy on the show the next day.

Celia Cruz, Emilio Estefan, Cheech Marin and Cristian de la Fuente will head the unveiling ceremony, which will be followed by cocktails and later, at 7:30 p.m., by a gala banquet at a luxury hotel in Beverly Hills.

Don Francisco is one of the best known and most admired TV personalities in the world, as his variety show, Sábado Gigante, has been continuously on the air for almost forty years, winning a place in the “Guinness Book of Records.” It is estimated that over one hundred million people watch the show around the world. It has united Hispanics who live in the U.S., and has launched the careers of thousands of singers, models and performers. It entertains and brings together families who are apart, as Don Francisco says, “separated by distance but united by the same language.”