Casa Argentina spiced up the night July 11th with a Tango Celebration to commemorate the 193rd Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of Argentina (July 9) at the Ile de France Ballroom of the JW Marriott. Guests were treated to an entertainment bonanza! Miriam Larici, a world-renowned tango expert (as seen on NBC’s Superstars of Dance) choreographed three couples for the festive gathering. Grammy award-winning artist Raul Jaurena played the bandoneon with a trio and vocalist Marga Mitchell. Latin music continued to delight with local band Julio & Cesar. Chef Carlos Lainez executed a wonderful dinner accompanied by Argentine wines. As for the auction, there were two American Airline tickets to a locale of choice in Central or South America. Hmm, Costa Rica? Brazil? Not really a tough decision for the lucky bidder!
President of Casa Argentina is Gabriel Cutaia. Chair of the lavish affair was Juan Jorge Gershanik who was assisted by co-chairs of the event committee Yakelis Anzola and Betty Speyrer. The nonprofit was founded in 1982 and is run by volunteers with the intent to preserve Argentinean culture and support educational and philanthropic institutions such as Esperanza, the Spanish branch of Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse for Greater New Orleans, Second Harvest Food Bank and this year, Make It Right Foundation.
