Hispanic Federation’s Annual Gala is an opportunity to come together in celebration of our community. It’s a time to celebrate our leaders, our supporters, and our common values. This year, during our Unity Gala, we are especially pleased to honor a number of individuals and organizations that are credits to our community.
Aaron Sánchez, our Premio Orgullo honoree, is an internationally renowned chef. As the owner of Johnny Sanchez restaurants in New Orleans and Baltimore, he is celebrated for his innovative reinterpretations of traditional dishes from Latin America. Perhaps more importantly he is a national voice on hunger and food insecurity in the Latino community. As Chef Ambassador of WhyHunger and Food Bank NYC, he has emerged as a leader in the fight to make sure all Americans have enough to eat.
This year’s Corporate Leadership Award goes to Morgan Stanley. With offices in more than 42 countries, Morgan Stanley is an international financial powerhouse that helps clients solve complex problems. But Morgan Stanley also deploys its substantial intellectual and financial assets to help strengthen and build communities. They have been pioneering supporters of Hispanic Federation and its network of member agencies for more than two decades now.
Our Community Service Award this year will go to the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights (NMCIR). Founded in 1982 to educate, defend, and protect the rights of immigrants, the organization is a national leader on immigrant issues. In this climate of anti-immigrant rhetoric and policy, NMCIR provides direct service and policy leadership that is more important than ever.
Finally, our Legacy Award winners are Gloria and Emilio Estefan. With seven Grammy Awards and over 100 million albums sold worldwide, Gloria Estefan is the most successful Latin crossover performer in the history of pop music. A world-renowned music, television and film producer, Emilio Estefan, has been instrumental in shaping, developing and directing the careers of some of the most important voices in Latin music. Together, however, the Estefans are also respected philanthropists and have been invaluable supporters of the Latino community on everything from economic development to immigrant rights.
Please join us and Gala Chair Lin-Manuel Miranda at the American Museum of Natural History on April 20th to honor these amazing individuals and institutions. Together, we’ll be able to ensure that we have the resources necessary to continue to uplift our children, families, communities and cities all across our nation. In unity there is power. In unity there is strength.
And, yes, there is still time to purchase your tickets and table sponsorships. You can do so online at www.hfannualgala.com or by connecting with our VP for Strategic Advancement Effie Phillips directly at 212 233-8955, ext. 145.
I look forward to celebrating a magical evening with each of you on Thursday, April 20th.
