The public has spoken.

And they made Carlos Portes of Marshalltown the recipient of the 2014 People’s Choice Award, presented by Gov. Terry Branstad Tuesday in Des Moines at the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda.

The public was invited to help select the winner, by voting for the candidate they felt most deserved extra recognition for their contributions as volunteers.

Portes was among a host of other celebrated volunteers from across Iowa who were in the running.

Also up for consideration were Floyd Hammer and Kathy Hamilton of Union.

Approximately 60 Marshalltown area residents traveled to Des Moines to see Portes honored, not once, but twice.

Suzanne Gauch of Marshalltown was one.

Gauch is a personal friend of Portes and nominated him for the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame.

“On behalf of everyone from Marshalltown who came, we are thrilled Carlos won the People’s Choice award,” said Gauch.

“It is an incredible, and well-deserved honor for Carlos, who is a great representative of Marshalltown, but also someone who has given a voice to the voiceless and helped hundreds of others pursue the American dream.”

Gauch and others will be honoring Portes Saturday night, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Marshalltown High School/Community Auditorium.

The Marshalltown Business & Education Alliance and Emerson Process Management/Fisher Controls are sponsors.

Admittance to the event is by free of charge ticket only.

Tickets may be obtained first come, first serve, at St. Mary Catholic Church, Hellberg Jewelers, Godfrey Motors, the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, Sports Page, Primavera Italian Restaurant, Marla’s Headliner, the Tremont Grille and Willard’s Fur and Fashions.

“Now I hope many Marshalltown area folks will turn out Saturday night to hear Carlos’s incredible life story,” Gauch said. “He came to America as a youth, alone and penniless, and he has worked to give back to America ten fold.”