DAMA’s Annual Gala Dinner 2014

Another great Annual for the record! Marvelous evening honoring Dominican writer, and Dominican Republic’s permanent Ambassador to the Organization of American States, Dr. Pedro Vergés and Luis Saldaña, young entrepreneur and owner of Chicago’s Tumbao Bar and Grill Restaurant. Both gentlemen were recognized by Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, with a resolution, and by DAMA with Excellence Awards.

This year was a very special one because the DAMA Evaluating Committee for the Dr. Garcia Educational Award had an extremely difficult time in deciding whom to grant the $1,000 award, simply because they felt that two Dominican students equally deserved the single award. Dr. García, known for his generosity, upped the antes and gave two $1,000 awards to recipients Lisa Ancilleri, an arts student at Columbia College, and Josiah Ballantine, UIC graduate recently admitted to study medicine at Northwestern University.

Congratulations to them for raising the bar for all Dominicans. The event was hosted by the very skilled Univision’s radio and TV personality, Tsi-tsi-Félix. This year we received many gifts from friends and sponsors, which were raffled away.

We were very pleased to receive generous support from the Dr. Garcia Medical Center, Univision-Chicago, the Crown Plaza Hotels from O’Hare and Glen Ellyn, Marriott Hotel-Naperville, the Sheraton Hotel and Towers- Chicago, Siboney Cuban Restaurant, Armitage Produce, Noelia Rosario and Consuelo Mejía Avon, Migdalia’s Caribbean Beauty Span, RhicaFirst Brokers, Products, and Maximo Pérez Importing Dominican Produce.