Mil gracias for taking part in El Centro de la Raza’s 2024 Building the Beloved Community Gala on September 28th. Our success is possible because of our donors, event sponsors, table sponsors, team captains, volunteers, speakers, and many helping hands.
Your support is critical in El Centro de la Raza’s work to make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of a “Beloved Community” a reality—one that is only possible if people of diverse backgrounds come together in mutually supporting relationships of care, respect and love while working for justice within our communities, our nation, and our world.Through your generosity, we raised more than $638,000 for vital programs and services that improve the lives of more than 21,000 individuals and families across our region. Proceeds from the gala will strengthen and grow our work, which includes feeding the hungry, helping a family make rent, empowering students to graduate from high school and attend college, and supporting our immigrant community.
Congratulations once again to this year’s Roberto Felipe Maestas Legacy Award honorees: Jaqueline Garcia Castillo, and Ruel Olanday, Jr., who have each dedicated their lives to work that embodies the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Beloved Community.” Jaqueline and Ruel honor our beloved founder’s legacy by building multi-racial unity and advocating for communities of color and immigrants through their social justice work.
As many of you know, the Four Amigos have been pillars of our community. Today, we were honored by the presence of Larry Gossett, the last living Amigo. During the gala, Estela Ortega, Executive Director of El Centro de la Raza, proclaimed, ‘If there were to be a 5th Amigo, it should be Frank Chopp for his commitment to improving the lives of so many people. Today, I proclaim Representative Frank Chopp as the 5th Amigo.’ We are proud to congratulate Representative Frank Chopp on receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for his unwavering dedication to Building the Beloved Community.
This year’s scholarship recipients are Abel Jimenez Abarca, Brisa Guandulain Acosta, Cecilia García Agudo, Alejandra Silva Campos, Michelle Saucedo Campos, Giselle Jaimes-Cervantes, Melanie Chinchilla Corea, Nicole Martinez-Gomez, Hibris Maldonado, Emily Ruiz Morales, Julene Quiroz Morales, Tatiana Herrera-Nava, Viridiana Ortega, Jennifer Duran Pena, Oscar Perez, Daniela Pineda, Miguel Plancarte, Juan Juarez Ramos, Samuel Rubiano, Shirley Andrea Sanchez Ramirez, Miranda Santos, Yocelyn Soto, Israel Vasquez, Jasmine Venegas, Nelly Irene Wiley.
As our keynote speaker, Cristóbal Alex, powerfully reminded us, ‘We cannot know where we are going unless we know where we came from. We cannot know who we are unless we know how we got here.’ We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Cristóbal Alex, emcee Enrique Cerna, guest speaker Leticia Lucero, and auctioneer Fred Granados for their inspiring contributions to the event.
Mil gracias to our Building the Beloved Community Gala event sponsors, which can be viewed in the image below.
Thank you for supporting El Centro de la Raza’s mission and programs. We look forward to celebrating with you next year!
If you missed this years event and would still like to donate, click here.
Photography by William Wright Photography.