PALCUS to Celebrate Portuguese-American Success at 23rd Annual Leadership Awards Gala, October 12, 2019
Weekend Long Celebrations to include reception, Wine Tour, and CPAC Lusitanian Forum
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC – September 5, 2019 – The Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States (PALCUS) announces that the full program of events is now available for the 23rd Annual PALCUS Leadership Awards Gala. This year’s festivities will take place in and around Sacramento, California.
The 2019 PALCUS Leadership Awards Gala will be held on Saturday, October 12 at the Elks Tower Casino and Events Center in Sacramento, CA. This year’s Gala will honor 14 awardees and the list includes businesses, organizations and international celebrities. The weekend festivities will be bookended by a welcome reception and special movie preview on Friday, October 11 and a wine tour of Portuguese owned wineries on Sunday, October 13.
“PALCUS is excited to bring the Leadership Awards Gala back to the West Coast this year. It’s been 6 years since we’ve been able to celebrate with the Portuguese-American community in California and we are excited to do so with such a packed scheduled of events,” said PALCUS Chair, Angela Costa Simões. “This year we have 14 awardees and this long list is a testament to the success of the national Portuguese-American Community. We hope you can all join us in Sacramento.”
The 2019 PALCUS Leadership Awards Gala will honor the following individuals and entities:
- Joaquim de Almeida – International Award
- Janet Morais – Leadership in Entrepreneurship Award
- Paulo Martins, MD, PhD. – Leadership in Scientific Achievement Award
- John Martins, Honorary Consul (posthumous) – Lifetime Achievement Award
- Jose Ivo, Honorary Consul – Leadership in Community Service Award
- Fernando & Michael Benevides – Leadership in Business Award
- Jerald Silva – Leadership in Artistic Achievement Award
- Zachery Ramos – Young Portuguese-American “Promessa” Award
- Lenny Mendonca – Leadership in Public Service Award
- Lucia Noia – Leadership in Philanthropy Award
- Isabel Cabral-Johnson – Leadership in Education Award
- Mary Borba Parente – PALCUS Founder Award
- Luis Pires – Lifetime Achievement Award
- PFSA – Outstanding Organization Award
The 2019 Gala Committee is headed by PALCUS Chair Angela Costa Simões and PALCUS Director Diniz Borges. This year the Honorary Chairs of the Gala will be Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (California State Assembly– 4th District) and Henry Stern (California State Senate – 27th District). PALCUS has tapped Portuguese-American Andria Borba, news anchor for KPIX in San Francisco, to serve as Master of Ceremonies for the evening. The evening will include a Silent Auction that is currently live and accepting bids at: https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/54928/auctions/68411 .
The PALCUS Leadership Awards Gala Weekend will include the following events:
Friday, October 11, 2019
PALCUS Gala Welcome Reception
6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Citizen’s Hotel
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Annual PALCUS Members’ Meeting (Members Only)
10:30 a.m., Citizen’s Hotel
Lusitanian Forum
Topic: Encouraging Civic Participation and Public Service in the Portuguese Community, Census 2020 and Make Portuguese CountTM
Hosted by CPAC – California Portuguese American Coalition
Lunch 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Forum 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Citizen’s Hotel
23rd Annual PALCUS Leadership Awards Gala
Cocktail Reception: 6:00 p.m.
Dinner and Awards: 7:00 p.m.
Elks Tower Casino and Event Center
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Portuguese Wine Tour & Lunch
Carvalho Winery
St. Jorge Winery
Bus leaves Citizen’s Hotel at 9:30 a.m.
Returns to Hotel at 4:00 p.m.
Registration for the various weekend events as well as ticket purchases and private or corporate sponsorship opportunities can be found at: https://www.palcus.org/gala2019
NOTE: Make Portuguese Count™ is a trademark of the Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States, Inc. and may not be altered. All associated materials are the property of PALCUS and may not be used without written permission. © PALCUS, 2019. All rights reserved.
About PALCUS
PALCUS is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia. It was founded in 1991 by a group of successful, forward-thinking Portuguese-Americans with the purpose of providing a singular national voice that would advocate for the interests of Portuguese-Americans in the United States. Now in its 26th year and guided by a dedicated all-volunteer board of directors representing Portuguese-American communities throughout the United States, PALCUS has worked consistently to address the community’s needs in the strategic areas of government affairs, international affairs, educational opportunities, Portuguese language and culture, community outreach and recognition of our community’s success.
To learn more about PALCUS, visit www.palcus.org.
Contact Information:
Gracielle Camilo, Executive Assistant, Email: palcus@palcus.org
Phone: 202-466-4664
