JOIN US ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022
7:30 PM COCKTAILS
8:30 PM DINNER AND PROGRAM
MUSIC BY THE BOB HARDWICK SOUND
VENUE
THE PLAZA
768 FIFTH AVENUE | NEW YORK CITY
BLACK TIE
RSVP TO THE BENEFIT OFFICE
917.477.7760 OR FIESTA@CASITAMARIA.ORG
Casita Maria, the nonprofit headquartered in the South Bronx whose primary mission is to offer afterschool enrichment activities for Latino children, is hosting their annual Fiesta! Gala on Tuesday, October 11th. For decades, Fiesta has combined a fabulous party with social good. Over the last ten years, the Gala has raised more than 5 million dollars. These unrestricted funds have enabled Casita Maria to continue its programming year after year, including during the pandemic. Casita Maria offers high-quality, innovative arts after-school programming to over 1,000 students a year; as well as reaching an additional 40,000 community members through our Creative Arts programs of professional exhibitions and performances. Their programming provides music, dance, and studio art lessons for these young people in the country’s poorest Congressional District.
During the Fiesta Gala, Casita Maria will honor Latino pioneers Tony Bechara, Cesar Conde, and Gaby Pacheco with Casita’s Gold Medal of Honor. Tony Bechara has dedicated his career to celebrating and giving back to the Hispanic community through his art and is currently a Trustee of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Studio in a School, and Chairman Emeritus of El Museo del Barrio. Cesar Conde serves as Chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group, overseeing NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC. Becoming the first Hispanic to lead a major English-language broadcast news organization, Conde has made a top priority of investing in digital and streaming, accelerating the Group’s leadership position across all platforms. As Chairman of the News Group, he has spearheaded a nationwide initiative by launching an innovative, multi-platform journalism training and development program, NBCU Academy, in partnership with 30 institutions of higher education. Gaby Pacheco is a nationally recognized immigrant rights leader. She gained national recognition in 2004 for her courageous advocacy of the DREAM Act and immigration reform. Their efforts in life tie back to Casita Maria’s mission to create a safe and welcoming community that enriches and uplifts youth and families towards success through shared cultural, art and educational experiences and programs.
Fiesta Co-Chairs: Jackie Weld Drake and HRH Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia
Dinner Chairs: George Corton, Adriana Echavarria, Sissi Isabel Fleitas-Refaie, and Thomas C. Quick
Committee Members: Kathryn and Charles Berry, Geoffrey Bradfield, Pilar Crespi, Ellie and Edgar Cullman, John Demsey, Frederick Eberstadt, Michele Gerber Klein, Audrey Gruss, Agnes Gund, Amy Hoadley, Kevin Kwan, Margo Langenberg, Ann Nitze, Ben Rodriguez-Cubenas, Lisa and David Schiff, Joan Steinberg, Carlos Souza, and Barbara Tober
Pachanga Chairs: Victor Roquette and Sabrina Wirth
Pachanga Committee Members: Cathy Aragon, Carlos Barraza, Omar Hernandez, Titina Penzini, and Patti Ruiz-Healy