Friday, November 9, 2012
High-profile Hispanic gala abruptly rescheduled
Posted By Stephen Dark on November 9, 2012, 5:58 PM
Just two weeks before one of the most high-profile events in the Utah Hispanic community calender was set to take place, the Somos Foundation gala was canceled in favor of a February 2013 date.---
Somos—which means "we are"—was set up in 2002 to provide scholarships for young Hispanics to attend college. It was a cause that drew substantial support not only from the Hispanic community but also Anglo businesses. In 2008 alone, Somos raised $250,000 for scholarships.
Each November, the great and the good in the Hispanic community gather for a black-tie bash at the Grand America hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. In 2011, some questioned why so much money should be spent on putting on a lavish event when those same funds could go to scholarships. Then attorney-general candidate Sean Reyes was one of the keynote speakers in November 2011 and in his speech rejected such criticism as ill-founded.
But on Nov. 2 this year, the Foundation Board abruptly announced that the gala on Nov. 16 was being pulled in favor of a February date. A call to board vice chair Angel Chaparro seeking comment was not returned.
Note: Stephen Dark's wife, Patricia, was director of the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for several years, during which time she was involved in the foundation's development.
More by Stephen Dark
-
Call it a Comeback
Long mired in economic depression, Midvale’s Main Street dusts off its small-town charm.
- Sep 20, 2017
-
Love Letters
Correspondence between a young woman at the Topaz internment camp and her beloved sheds light on Trump's America.
- Sep 6, 2017
-
Triggered
Veterans Affairs exists to help vets. So why did the Salt Lake VA appoint an anti-veteran chief?
- Aug 30, 2017
- More »
Latest in Buzz Blog
