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Morales Group Sponsors La Plaza’s Annual “Night of the Americas” Dinner Honoring Honduras Culture at Indiana Roof Ballroom

News 05.26.22 Morales Group
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Morales Group’s partner La Plaza, the oldest and largest Latino nonprofit in Indiana, hosted its 17th annual “Night of the Americas” on Friday, May 20, 2022 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Morales Group is a proud sponsor of this spring event to raise community awareness and support for La Plaza’s impactful programs.

Each year, La Plaza hosts more than 400 of the city’s business, civic, and community leaders to learn more about the nonprofit’s programs, enjoy food from the honored country, and dance under the ballroom stars. The students and families served by La Plaza have a chance to share their stories with the community. This year’s country of honor is Honduras.

La Plaza names the annual Hispanic American Service Award winners and awards annual college scholarships through the La Plaza Scholarship Fund.

The Hispanic American Service Award winners are:

  • Outstanding Community Leader – Angeles Martinez Mier, DDS PhD, MSD
  • Outstanding Corporate Leader – Tom O’Neill, OfficeWorks
  • Outstanding Young Latino Leaders – Christina Salgado, IU School of Medicine, and Nathan Alejandro Sevilla, Taylor University

The six students who have been awarded scholarships through the La Plaza Scholarship Fund are: Brayan Gómez Sánchez, Elias Enmanuel Martínez, José Manuel Escalante Urdaneta, Madali Samantha Davila, María Lourdes Martínez-Domingo, and Stephanie Santamaria Vilchis.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, there were 7,681 Latinos in Indianapolis in 1990, comprising 1 percent of the city’s total population. By 2000, the Hispanic population size had nearly quadrupled to 30,636. Twenty years later, 2020 census data revealed the Hispanic population to be 13 percent of Indianapolis, 116,844.

Honduras is one of the five top countries, with 4 percent of the population represented by Hoosiers immigrants. Thirteen percent of foreign-born individuals living in Indianapolis come from Mexico, India, Burma (Myanmar), Honduras, and El Salvador, according to a 2016 research led by George Mason University, Institute for Immigration Research.

Proceeds from the annual dinner support La Plaza’s programs and services. The annual dinner is the preeminent fundraising event for the Latino community in Central Indiana.

Fellow sponsors of the conference alongside Morales Group included partner groups KeyBank and Ivy Tech, as well as the Indianapolis Foundation, the Lacy Foundation, Huntington Bank, and others.

As a certified Minority Business Enterprise, Morales Group is committed to strengthening the Latinx community and supporting Hispanic students.

You can find La Plaza on Facebook. LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Their next event is the annual FIESTA Indianapolis to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in September.

About La Plaza:

As Central Indiana’s premiere Latino organization, La Plaza strengthens youth, families, and our community through their linguistically and culturally appropriate services and community events. Through their comprehensive line of educational programs, social services, and workforce development efforts, La Plaza addresses the high school drop-out rate and academic success of Latino youth and prepares families to succeed in the workforce and the community.

News 05.26.22 Morales Group