Annual Celebration

32nd Annual Celebration Gala - Community Appeal

Together for our community. Honoring our community.

To protect our families, and to protect you, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our Annual Celebration Gala this year. But we cannot afford to cancel the valuable support the gala has provided to our families, especially now, when they need it most, at this time of recovery.

Our goal is to raise $100,000 by the end of the year to provide support to our community as they recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic and help our families build the resilient futures they deserve.

Will you stand with our families and make a gift to Centro in lieu of attending the event this year?

DOUBLE THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT

All gifts made before December 31st will be 1:1 matched by our partner, UW Health up to $50,000. Thank you!

Donate

ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY APPEAL

Latinx across the nation are suffering disproportionately from COVID-19. In Dane County, Latinx individuals have one of the lowest vaccination rates but the highest number of cases (DPS). Centro Hispano of Dane County (Centro) is at the forefront of the local response, working to alleviate the devastating effects of the pandemic on the Latinx community.

From vaccine awareness, to managing the LCA Emergency Relief Fund, to providing support to families with basic needs, housing and immigration, developing workforce skills in high demand sectors like healthcare, and working with youth navigating virtual learning, the team at Centro is working tirelessly to support, and provide a home, to the community.

Our goal with this community appeal is to raise $100,000 by the end of the year to provide support to our community as they recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic and help our families build the resilient futures they deserve.

TESTIMONIAL: Lourdes Godinez

I am an immigrant, I am resilient, and I am Centro.

I came to Madison, Wisconsin more than 30 years ago with my Mom and siblings from Mexico. We did not have the necessary resources to live in this country.
We arrived in the winter, and we didn’t have a stable place to live. We felt isolated, and that we did not belong to this country...

We knocked on several doors, many opened and others didn’t. One of the doors that opened to us was Centro.

At Centro, they guided us and gave us the support we needed at this critical moment in our lives. And since then, Centro has always been part of my life and the life of my family.

It is important that people understand that we all come from somewhere, we all belong to a community and we all need opportunities to become successful. We just need information on how to navigate the system in this country and solve our needs such as health, education, immigration, employment, etc.

This time is historical -- COVID -19 pandemic, violence in the streets, racism, and intolerance. In addition to all these difficulties, we still have an even bigger problem, a mental pandemic which does not allow us to understand that yes, we belong, yes, we have opportunities for success, and yes, we are valuable to this country and to the world.

I am an immigrant, I am resilient and I am Centro.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS & PARTNERS

PRESENTING

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

FRIEND

“For me, I think of Centro as the hub for issues around the Latino community and a space that anybody can take as their own. The Gala amplifies that and it’s just everybody that is involved and engaged and supporting Centro coming out and having a big celebration.”
Karen Menendez Coller, centro executive director

Past Annual Celebration Events

31st Annual Celebration - Resilience - Community Appeal

Centro Hispano shows RESILIENCE through the pandemic -Madison365, October 20th, 2020

30th Annual Celebration - Esperanza - Gala Award Ceremony

Esperanza (Hope) Springs Eternal as Centro Hispano Celebrates Its 30th Annual Gala
-David Dahmer, Madison 365, September 19, 2019

"This is the 30th annual gala event for us. So this is a big one”

29th Annual Celebration - Acción - Gala & Award Ceremony

2018 Centro Hispano Annual Awards Gala , Strength in Service
- Hedi Rudd, The Capital City Hues, October 15, 2018
Centro Hispano’s 29th Annual Gala Will Feature Community Awards, Including New Marcus S. Miles Volunteer Award
- David Dahmer, Madison 365, September 17, 2018

The 2018 gala, Acción, is focused on celebrating the heroes, both sung and unsung, who have taken action for our community at this important time in our history.

Photos courtesy of Hedi Lamarr Photography, and Tania Rivera.

28th Annual Celebration - A Mini Gala & Award Ceremony

Photos courtesy of Madison365, Hedi Lamarr Photography, and Marcus Miles Photography.