Edu-Futuro: Empowering Latino Youth Through Education.: 2011 Gala "Celebrating Families: Fathers Matter"

Educación Para Nuestro Futuro founded by Escuela Bolivia is proud to share that our 2011 annual gala event, "Celebrating Families: Fathers Matter" was a great success. We had an overwhelming amount of support from the community, sponsors, donors, and all our supporters. We would like to thank everyone for their hard work in making the event such a success.

Our theme this year was father's roles in the upbringing of children in our community. The National Fatherhood Initiative states in its fatherhood information handbook that, “The economic consequences of a parent’s absence are often accompanied by psychological consequences, which include higher than average levels of youth suicide, low intellectual and education performance, and higher than average rates of mental illness, violence and drug use." These, amongst other important reasons, explain why it is so important to acknowledge those fathers within our families that are making a difference for the future of their children and shaping the way father's roles are perceived within our community.

This year we honored some of our most inspirational stories; fathers who have set a precedent with the interest they have shown in their children's education. We are proud to have recognized Fernando López, Ricardo Montero, José Vasquez, and Augusto Wayar as this year's honorees. In the coming weeks, we'll be updating this blog with each of their unique and powerful stories.

We would also like to thank all our sponsors, donors, and silent auction participants that helped us raise funds for our education and leadership development programs. The community depends on the support of people like you and we appreciate all of your contributions. We would especially like to thank this years' corporate sponsors, the Arlington Community Federal Credit Union and the Comcast Corporation for their generosity. As always, ¡Mil gracias to everyone for all your support!