CHCI’s Annual Gala, which began in 1977 as a small dinner, has grown over the years
to become one of our nation’s most prestigious events commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month. With more than 2,000 guests in attendance, the Gala is one of the largest Hispanic events in the nation’s capital. This event is renowned for bringing together people of varied ethnic, professional and geographical backgrounds to achieve a common goal: Help support Hispanic youth leadership development and educational programs.

Guests are a who’s who of leaders from the public and private sectors, including Members of Congress, entertainers, and corporate and community leaders. In the past, CHCI has been joined by such distinguished guests as President Bill Clinton; Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton; Ricky Martin; Eva Longoria; Carlos Santana; Gloria Estefan; Jimmy Smits; Edward James Olmos; Paul Rodriguez; Geraldo Rivera; Rita Moreno; Jon Seda; Mario Lopez; Carlos Ponce; Los Lobos; Tito Puente and Elvis Crespo.

During the evening’s festivities, as a Gala tradition, CHCI bestows its Medallions of Excellence to deserving Hispanic leaders. These prestigious awards honor Hispanic individuals who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to empowering the Hispanic community. CHCI’s Medallions of Excellence are widely regarded as one of the most important honors in the Hispanic community.

Celebrating for a Good Cause
The Annual Gala is the Institute’s principal fundraising event, with proceeds benefiting Hispanic youth. CHCI’s week of activities raises more than $3 million for CHCI’s nationally recognized Congressional Internship, Public Policy Fellowship and College Scholarship programs.

Enhancing Corporate Outreach Efforts
Each year the stature of the Gala grows, attracting thousands of well-regarded leaders. As a result, interest among the corporate sector has increased significantly and the number of Gala sponsors has almost doubled from previous years. Many corporations acknowledge that the Gala is one of the few large-scale events to provide intimate networking opportunities with the nation’s top Hispanic leaders who represent large constituencies also enhance their outreach efforts to the Hispanic community through the Gala’s high visibility.

CHCI’s Gala has attracted both national mainstream and Spanish-language media, including: VH-1; NBC News; Univision; Fox; Telemundo; NBC’s Today Show; USA Today; The Washington Post; Newsweek and People en Español; and it has aired live in its entirety on C-SPAN, across 85 million cable homes.