SADCO (Friends of Colombia Society) invites you and your family to celebrate this beautiful season with our annual Christmas Party! Come and join us with your family and friends. Santa Claus is coming to our party to have a picture with you! Please bring an appetizer to share. We’ll see you there!!

Cordially,

SADCO

Our first winner was Pat Roe of USA Funds. We are quite pleased to announce our 2011 winner: Sister Mary Kay Duffy, formerly of the Hispanic Education Center. Sister Mary Kay is originally from Indianapolis and has been an invaluable champion of latino immigrants to Central Indiana for many years. To hear more about her experiences and perspective, click on the link to the video.

To watch the video in the YouTube Website click Bertha Torres Service Award 2011

Our Gala will take place at Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, on November 17, 2012.   SAVE THE DATE

We promise a delicious Latin American dinner and great rhythms by a Latino orchestra on our fund raising event.

SADCO GALA 2011

SADCO thanks all sponsors and attendees of our gala 2011. With your help we can continue our journey to help Hispanic students who without financial help could not get access to post-secondary education. It is with the vital help of our sponsors and volunteers that we are making a difference on the students lives and on our communities

The event took place on Saturday, November 12, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.

The proceeds from the event will be used to fund our scholarship program that will award twenty scholarships of $1,800 each to Hispanic students for the 2012- 2013 academic year.

David Llewelyn, president of SADCO, said “education has a big impact in the betterment of our community and the economical development of the State of Indiana." Since its inception, SADCO has awarded to studends from all Latin America 117 scholarships in excess of $160,000.

Special thanks to all SADCO members, supporters, volunteer and the following sponsors, for their generous financial support for the Gala 2011

U.S.A. FUNDS

Cummins Inc

Key Bank

Dow AgroSciences  LLC

Kiwanis Club Of Castleton Foundation

Advantage Health Solutions

Asociación de Venezolanos en Indiana - AVI

Brightpoint

DBMS

Geist Ortho Dental

Juan & Dennis Cardenas

Morales Group  Inc.

Alivio Medical Center

Elwood Staffing

Optimo Group  Inc.

Sysco Indianapolis LLC

Lumina Foundation

Other donations were received from:  Mr. Antonio Galindez, Erick and Ana Carlsgaard,  Julio and Olga Lozano, and Shula's Steak House

HISTORY

This famous dance is SADCO's a main fund-raising event of the year. It is generally held in November close to the date that commemorates the Independence of Cartagena, November 11. The dance began in the mid 1980’s as a small gathering of 20-30 persons in the home of a SADCO member to celebrate this event with singing, poetry, dancing, food and drink. As SADCO grew, this get-together grew in popularity, moving from a small home gathering to an apartment clubhouse where more members and “Amigos de Colombia” could enjoy the celebration, sharing a pitch-in dinner and music. Gradually the event moved to larger banquet halls and the pitch-in dinners became catered affairs so that all could enjoy the party without having to remain “behind the scenes” cooking and cleaning up; a popular DJ has provided our dance music. For several years the dance was held in the K of C hall in Fishers, then it moved to the Ritz Charles, and eventually to the Murat Center in downtown Indianapolis where for three years the Arabian Room and the Egyptian Room saw over 500 participants, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, enjoying food, fellowship and the sounds of cumbia, salsa and merengue lasting into the wee small hours. The Hyatt Hotel in Downtown Indianapolis has been the venue for the past four years.

You are cordially invited to celebrate our annual "La Independencia de Cartagena Gala-Dinner Dance, Saturday November 12th, 2011; Do not miss it!

OBJECTIVES

As in all SADCO’s activities, the aim is to celebrate Hispanic culture and highlight those individuals who have distinguished themselves in this community. In addition SADCO wants to create focal points for the community at large where people come together to interact and learn from each other. The participants are not only Hispanics, many individuals in the greater Indianapolis area look forward to this event each year. The Independence of Cartagena holiday gives a social reason to get together; the event itself helps SADCO to live up to its purpose to contribute to the betterment of the community in which we all live and work. The proceeds of this Gala, combined with those of other SADCO events and contributions from generous individuals and organizations in the city help SADCO to promote education (through its scholarship program) and contribute to local Hispanic charitable and social service organizations.

The theme of the event will be “Changing the Colombian Stereotype.” Despite the news and our history of violence and drug trafficking, CSAP members are strongly motivated to change and expand the vision of our country.

The Colombian Night is a great opportunity to show not only the cultural richness but also the economic and social progress gained in the last decade, which have positioned Colombia to be the second fastest growing economy in Latin America. Also, the event will provide a place for the Colombian people and the whole community to meet. With 53 members at Purdue; the Colombian community is the second largest group among Latin-American students and it is expected to keep growing.

Information

Date: 14-Oct-2011

Time: 6pm

Loacation: St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 535 W. State Street, West Lafayette, 47906.

Room: Newman Hall

Program

6:00pm Doors open

6:15pm Opening – Welcome by President CSAP

6:30pm Keynote Speaker

7:00pm Introduction to gastronomic sample

7:45pm Colombian music games

8:15pm Colombian dance performance

8:45pm Auctions (Colombian handcrafts)

9:00pm Colombian Games

9:30pm Open dance floor

10:30pm Closing by CSAP executive board.

Tickets may be purchased according to the following dates and prices.

August 15th-September 31st: $12 each ticket

October 1st – October 14th: $15 each ticket ($12 when purchased in groups of ten or more)

For more information on this event you can visit the Colombian Student Association at Purdue (CSAP) website clicking here

An annual dinner and silent auction is held every summer to raise funds for Hispanic student scholarships. These funds are divided among the alliance partners to help fund their scholarship programs.

The additional dollars raised in this event have enabled SADCO to award $1,500 scholarship to a total of fifteen deserving Latino students for the 2011-2012 school year.

SADCO the alliance partners encourage local donors to contribute purchasing tables for this event or making direct donations. Students awarded with SADCO scholarships are invited to the event with a family member.

History

The fund was founded in 1998 to help deserving Latino students in Indiana to realize the dream of obtaining a postsecondary education.  With the financial and organizational support of USA Funds and the Central Indiana Community Foundation, five organizations joined their fundraising efforts to form a strong alliance and generate a larger pool of funds. The Indiana Latino Institute, La Plaza, the Mexican Scholarship Fund, the National Association of Hispanic MBAs, and SADCO, Sociedad Amigos de Colombia, have been working together successfully to provide increased financial opportunities to talented Latino students.

Since 2008, the Indiana Latino Scholarship Fund effort has raised close to $750,000.

Why we do it?

Having recognized the need to support higher education, organizations in Indiana are contributing dollars to support the education of our most valuable resource – our students. The Indiana Latino Scholarship relies on private and corporation donations to fund scholarships and it is gaining recognition in the community.

SADCO recognized this need and since 1996, through the efforts of its members and support from the corporate community, implemented the scholarship program for young Latinos.

We are very proud of their accomplishments and very grateful to the community and our loyal SADCO members for their continued support.

Colombian Embassy in USA
Consulado de Colombia en Chicago
The Other Look of Colombia
Colombia – World Facts

Since early 1986, SADCO members have overwhelmingly supported the idea of contributing to the enhancement of educational opportunities for all Hispanics. Two specific initiatives have been in place since that time. The first initiative endeavors to help Hispanics become literate in the English language and aware of the cultural differences of their host country. In this regard, SADCO has provided financial and manpower resources yearly to the Hispanic Education Center (HEC). The HEC provides literacy, aid in preparing for the GED, and computer instruction to newly arrived immigrants of all ages.

The second initiative was to establish a scholarship fund to help Hispanics attend college. Membership dues, sales generated during the annual Hispanic festival “Fiesta Indianapolis”, participants and sponsors of the Cartagena Independence Gala Dance and Dinner Celebration, and contributors from other sources, have primarily supported the scholarship fund. To date, SADCO has awarded scholarships to Hispanic students from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. With the continued help from institutions, corporations, and other businesses, we hope to continue to award more scholarships for many years to come.

Programs to Provide Aid to Children in Poverty-Stricken Areas:

SADCO is dedicating special attention to improving the quality of life and meeting the needs of needy children in Colombia and other Latin American countries. It is a goal of SADCO to help children living in dire poverty. This is accomplished through the generosity of SADCO’s contributors by providing children with programs and services that meet basic needs, enhance their self-esteem, and raise their physical and educational levels in a meaningful, lasting way. Projects include contributions and computer equipment to set up a library in a middle school, didactic material supplies to elementary and middle schools, daycare facilities, and orphanages throughout Colombia. SADCO has also arranged for the donation of medical supplies and Christmas presents to children in hospitals.

Cultural Endeavors:

To accomplish its cultural mission, SADCO brings the Hispanic community together in socio-cultural events and offers educational presentations to schools and corporations regarding Hispanic culture. SADCO consistently participates with a cultural and educational booth in social events such as Fiesta Indianapolis, Children’s Day at Indianapolis Children’s Museum, and in international festivals at Indianapolis schools. To help expand and educate Latin American culture, SADCO has brought artists and musicians to perform in concerts and educational sessions at sites such as Butler University Clowes Memorial Hall, Indianapolis public schools, and local area festivals.

Disaster Relief:

Due to its broad membership and name recognition we have been able to raise funds to provide aid to disaster-stricken regions throughout Latin America. SADCO has provided aid to countries such as El Salvador, Venezuela, and Colombia.

Individual Assistance:

We also lend a helping hand to individuals in need whenever possible. We have provided economic assistance to cancer patients, helped a handicapped woman return to her home country, and provided finanacial assistance to a minority student in Spain.

Partnerships with other Organizations:

The members of SADCO have contributed to the accomplishments of, and have worked in partnership with other organizations for the development of the Hispanic community. In particular, we have helped “Fiesta Indianapolis” to organize the major Hispanic Festival in Indianapolis since its inception. The Hispanic Center has been a beneficiary of SADCO’s donations and we have also participated in some of its activities. We have worked with the Children’s Museum in activities such as the International Children’s Day. We have also have also collaborated with the Indianapolis Public Schools and in other Central Indiana schools. Our members have made many presentations about Latin American topics. We have also worked in cooperation with Kiwanis International to facilitate the distribution of resources to projects in Colombia.