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Casita
Maria Center for Arts and Education’s Fiesta 2018
was held on Tuesday, October 16th, 2018 at New
York’s Plaza Hotel. Each year at Fiesta, the Casita Maria
Gold Medal of Honor is awarded to outstanding individuals in
recognition to their contribution to the worlds of arts,
education, and philanthropy. This year, Casita Maria honored
three exceptional philanthropic individuals: Dayss
iOlarte De Kanavos, Mary Snow, and
Carlos Souza.
Cuban Actress
Sissi Fleitas was the evening’s host. The Dinner
Chairmen were Jacqueline Weld Drake, HRH Prince Dimitri
of Yugoslavia, and Carlos Mota. Casita Maria’s
Chairman Jacqueline Weld Drake presented all three honorees
with their Gold Medals of Honor.
The Honorary Chairs
were Elizabeth Peabody, Christine Schwarzman,and
Lynn Wyatt.
American-Brazilian
singer Bebel Gilberto performed two songs with
guitarist Guilherme Monteiro.
“I am proud
to say that in 2018, our programs have served more than 1000
promising young members of the Bronx, East Harlem and Harlem
communities,”said
Board Chairman Jaqueline Weld Drake. She went on to say,
“Looking ahead to what’s in store
in 2019 and beyond, Casita Maria will continue to advance
our mission and work to build a brighter, more creative, and
culturally rich future for our children and all future
residents of the South Bronx and East Harlem.”
Casita Maria’s Executive Director, Haydee Morales, said “For
more than 80 years, Casita Maria's educational and creative
arts programs have opened doors of joy and opportunity for
the youth, families, and communities we serve. We are proud
of our history as the first and oldest Latino-serving
charity in New York City, and look forward to many more
years serving the people of East Harlem, Hunts Point and the
South Bronx. Over the last year, we have redoubled our
efforts to bring high- quality education to South Bronx
youth, and to curate and present artists and performers who
represent the best of the Bronx's diversity, beauty, and
resilience.”
Guests enjoyed Smoked Salmon Polka Dot Carpaccio as an
appetizer, followed by Grilled Filet Mignon as a main
course. Dessert was Alternating Fifth Avenue Cheesecake and
Blackout Cake Redux.
Guests included: Muffie Potter Aston, Paola Bacchini,
Joachim Bader, Edgar Batista, Tony Bechara, Tina and Simon
Beriro, Gaby Bonetti, Halim Bulos and Hasan Green, Geoffrey
Bradfield, Andrea Casanova, Pippa Cohen, Amy Fine Collins,
Suzi Cordish, Francisco Costa, Sofia Sanchez de Betak, Ann
Dexter-Jones, Bella Eastham, Madeline Eastham, Moataz El
Refaie, Joanna Fisher, Brian Fisher, SissiFleitas, Stephen
Gainless, Bebel Gilberto (performer), Ellery and Marjorie
Reed Gordon, Zani Gugelmann, Giorgio Guidotti, Susan
Gutfreund, Ashlee Harrison, Rachel Hovnanian, Johannes Huebl,
Elizabeth Jacoby, Michèle Gerber Klein, Margo Langenberg,
Princess Astrid Von Liechtenstein, Ambassador John Loeb and
Sharon HandlerLoeb, Annabella and Alberto Mariaca, Mary
McFadden, Dimity Giles and Horacio Milberg, Lara Meiland-Shaw,
Malu and Sergio Millerman, Emily Mohr, Haydee Morales
(Executive Director, Casita Maria), Carlos Mota, Fred Negem,
Ann Nitze, Ann Rapp, Nell Rebowe, Nicky Hilton Rothschild
and James Rothschild, Marc Rosen, Cole Rumbough, Allison
Sarofim, Sana Sabbagh, Olivia Palermo, Elizabeth Peabody,
Natalya Poniatowski, Yolanda Santos, Christine Schwarzman,
Martin and Jean Shafiroff, Adrienne and GianluigiVittadini,
Christine Witker, and Sabrina Wirth.
Casita Maria’s
annual benefit is an elegant and fun evening that begins
with cocktails, followed by seated dinner, music and dancing
by The Bob Hardwick Sound. Past honorees have included
outstanding individuals such as Santiago Calatrava,
Marcelo Claure, Roberto Cavalli, Patricia Cisneros, John
Demsey, France Desmarais, Marta and Placido Domingo, Emilia
and J. Pepe Fanjul, Joanna Fisher, Carlos Fuentes, Audrey
Gruss, Agnes Gund, Rosaura Henkel, Audrey Hepburn, Carolina
Herrera, Julio Iglesias, Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg, Eddie
Palmieri, Elizabeth T. Peabody, Rodman C. Rockefeller, Julia
Salvi, Daisy Soros, Hutton Wilkinson and Lynn Wyatt.
ABOUT THE CASITA
MARIA CENTER FOR ARTS & EDUCATION:
For more than 80
years, Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education has served
as a cultural and community anchor for thousands of young
people and their families in the Hunts Point section of the
South Bronx. Casita has earned a reputation as the first and
oldest Latino charity in New York City. The mission of the
Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education is to empower youth
and their families by creating a culture of learning through
high quality social, cultural, and educational
opportunities. Casita Maria was founded in 1934 by Claire
and Elizabeth Sullivan, two schoolteachers in the living
room of their apartment. Their goal was to give the children
of recently arrived Latino families the support they needed
to meet the challenges of a new language and a novel school
system. The hope was that the young would thrive in their
new homeland and lead their parents and their community to
full participation in the American Dream. By developing
innovative responses and programs as issues arose,
relocating to the South Bronx as its community moved around
the city, Casita has been able to effectively serve each new
generation. By 1961, Casita was offering programs and
essential services to thousands of New Yorkers. Even when
the Bronx “burned” in the 1970's, Casita remained a safe
haven and a gateway to opportunity. Today, Casita Maria is
an institution, a driving force for scholastic enrichment
through its vital after school and educational programs that
focus on the arts and technology.
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