SIPA kicks off another year of service with benefit gala

LOS ANGELES –A longtime Filipino American community service organization will mark its 41^st anniversary with a gala awards and benefit dinner on Saturday, May 18. Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) will hold its “Panibagong Simula!” (A New Beginning!) gala at the CBS Studio Center in Studio City.

The group’s traditional gala fundraiser attracts hundreds of business and community leaders, philanthropists and government officials, drawn by SIPA’s many years of community service to Historic Filipinotown and Los Angeles County at large.

SIPA is the largest community-based, charitable nonprofit organization primarily serving the Filipino American community in the United States. Founded in 1972, it provides health and human services as well as community economic development and arts/cultural programs to low to moderate-income youth and families in multi-ethnic Historic Filipinotown and Filipino American residents in the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.

SIPA will honor the outstanding contributions of various individuals and organizations to its programs and services. The honorees exemplify the trailblazing spirit of this year’s theme include. They include:

• Hon. Rob Bonta, California State Assemblyman, 18^th District – Linkod Bayan/Political Leadership Award

• Bill Imada, Chairman and Chief Collaboration Officer, IW Group, Inc. – Apo/Pioneer Award

• Mark Manguera, Co-Founder, Kogi Korean BBQ – Uliran/Role Model Award

• Grace Mercado-Ouano, President, Astoria Nursing and Rehabilitation Center – Kalampusan/Business Achievement Award

• FilBarkada, Employee Service Group, Southern California Edison – Bayanihan/Community Service Award

Verizon will serve as the event’s Dinner Chair.

The event, from 5 p.m.-9 p.m., will feature emcee Steve Angeles, ABS-CBN and “Balitang America” reporter, as well as a performance by SIPA’s hip hop group, among others. In addition, SIPA’s popular Silent Auction will feature movie and sports memorabilia, as well as gift baskets and gift certificates.

Dinner and concert tickets are available at $175 per person, and sponsorship opportunities range from $1,000 to $30,000. For more information about sponsorships, tickets or silent auction donations, please contact (213) 382-1819 x120 or email [email protected]. For more information and updates, go to SIPA’s Facebook page or SIPA’s website: www.sipa-online/dinner.org.