AVANCE's 50th Anniversary
Grand Finale Gala
September 14, 2024
More than 300 friends and supporters joined us at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk for our Grand Finale Gala, celebrating 50 years of AVANCE and 50 years of service, support, and success for Latino families and communities.
With the help of our AVANCE community, including our sponsors, partners, and individual donors, we raised over $160K to further our mission of empowering and providing support to Latino families with young children, ensuring they have the tools and resources they need to thrive. Throughout the evening, AVANCE families took the stage to share how their experience with AVANCE changed their lives. You can read their stories and more by visiting our Family Stories page.
We were also joined by several distinguished speakers, including The Honorable Henry Cisneros, former San Antonio mayor and US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas’s 20th District, Secretary Julián Castro, Chief Executive Officer of the Latino Community Foundation, and President of Our Lady of the Lake University, Dr. Abel Antonio Chávez.
AVANCE founder Dr. Gloria G. Rodriguez was presented with the Visionary Leader Award, and in prerecorded remarks, Mr. Donald Zale accepted the Legacy Builder Award on behalf of the M.B. and Edna Zale Foundation, which provided the seed funding for AVANCE in 1973. Dr. Valora Washington, CEO and President of the CAYL Institute, was recognized with the Champion of Early Childhood Education award. Following remarks from Dr. Washington, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and First Lady Erika Prosper closed the program with a celebratory toast.
A special thank you to everyone behind the scenes—our Board of Directors, Advisory Board members, 50th-anniversary committee, sponsors, partners, team members, and volunteers—whose support and hard work made this unforgettable evening possible.
The gala may have ended, but our journey continues, and you can still be part of AVANCE’s next chapter!
With a gift of $50, you can help support the next 50 years of AVANCE, ensuring we reach even more children and families across Texas and beyond.
AVANCE's 50th Anniversary Grand Finale Gala
Thank you to our sponsors!
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