MERRILLVILLE | The public, students and elected officials are invited to ALMA's annual Endowment Scholarship Fundraiser Dinner Dance set for April 18 at Chateau Banquet Center, 530 W. 61st Ave.
ALMA is Indiana University Northwest's Latino student organization. The group began its scholarship endowment campaign in 2003, established the scholarship endowment fund in 2004 and has given out scholarships for the last two years.
ALMA, or Alianza Latina del Medio-Oeste de America, aims to unite and support the needs of Hispanic/Latino students and all other interested students at IUN.
Two scholarships will be awarded at this year's benefit, which begins at 6 p.m. with a reception and live entertainment.
Dinner will be served at 7 p.m., and at 8 p.m. Juana Watson, Indiana's Office of the Governor senior advisor for Latino & Immigrant Affairs, will be the guest speaker followed by the scholarship awards ceremony. Dance to Shades of Time starting at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $20.
Donations still are needed. Contributors are invited to buy tickets for themselves or donating tickets to students so they can attend. Various sponsorships also are available ranging from $250 to more than $1,000.
To buy tickets or become a sponsor, contact faculty advisor Raoul Contreras at (219) 980-6665 or e-mail him at rcontrer@iun.edu.
Watson, one of the founders of the Indiana MultiEthnic Conference and the Indiana Diversity Women's Network, also helped found two Hispanic/Latino community centers and a not-for-profit organization called Badges without Borders.
She established Friends For Calnali in Calnali, Mexico where she was born and Su Casa Columbus in Columbus, Ind., where she lives. The centers are designed to allow the Latino community to interact with residents. Badges without Borders aims to share in the education of local police officers and firefighters in the Latino culture and its language.
Claudia Martinez, co-chairman of this year's event, is proud to be part of the student organization whose work in establishing the endowment fund ensures a scholarship will be given every year.
"We are learning how to plan an event of this magnitude and to coordinate with the community and with each other in order to have a successful event," she said in a news release. "ALMA members are proud to give back to their community and to support fellow Latino students in getting a college education."
Co-chairman Cynthia Singleton, an ALMA officer, hopes turnout will be high.
"We're very pleased that IUN Chancellor Bruce Bergland and several of our vice chancellors will be in attendance," she said in the release. "We're hoping to have a great show of support from the community as well."
- For The Times
