Annual Ball and Award Ceremony

We had a wonderful time in our annual celebration and a great turnout. Because of last-minute family commitments, Tsi-Tsi-ki Félix could not make it. We were fortunate, though, to have Maria Elena Ponticiello as MC, an Emmy-award winning host of Telemundo’s Acceso Total. We are thankful to her, to Telemundo’s External Relations Director Juan Orta, and to NBC’s Assistant News Director Chris Peña. Guatemala was present once more with Roberto Ruiz and his Tertuliasymás.com, covering the event live on radio.

We are very appreciative of and thankful to Rhode Island State’s Senator Juan Pichardo, who braved the elements to be with us and gave an inspiring speech. Chicago’s Alderman Ariel Reboyras, as usual, came to be with us and delivered a City Council resolution to the honoree Virgilio Santos Taveras, who was also recognized by Nettie Lasko, representing the State Attorney General Lisa Madigan. In another resolution, Ms. Madigan made a special point to highlight DAMA’s contribution to Chicago’s Latino and Dominican communities and saluted DAMA Educational Award recipient Carlos Ruiz, a law student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors: Garcia Medical Center, Sheraton Hotel, Salvatore’s Restaurant, Mary Kay’s Executive Director Socorro Infante, Armitage Produce, Little Clown Pizza, RhicaFirst Real Estate, Máximo Pérez Dominican Foods Import, Avon’s representative Noelia Rosario, Migdalia Caribbean Beauty Spa, and Nuevo Estilo Salon Dominicano. Our special gratitude to UIC Professor Kara Morgan-Short for chairing the educational award committee. And of course, without the volunteers’ precious help our job would be doubly hard.

So, our thanks to: Luis Roberto Arriaga, Laura Bartlett, Mercedes Feliz, Josefina Feliz, Raysa Feliz, Roberto Guzman, Rhina Sánchez, and Vanessa Guridy-Cerritos. Finally, Miel Caribe with its palos beats and traditional merengues kept the public going. DJ Mambo brought us back to modernity.