The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) has announced Brazilians Rafael Caires and Bruna Rosado as the main musical act at the MAPS 2023 Awards Gala. The health and social services organization’s annual fundraiser will happen on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023, at 5:30 pm at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, MA.
Following a glamorous red-carpet reception and cocktail hour, the energetic rhythms of Brazilian drumming group Grooversity will welcome guests to the Sonesta’s beautiful ballroom as they prepare to enjoy a delicious banquet dinner and inspiring award ceremony.
This year’s fundraiser will honor Manny Lopes, Executive Vice-President of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, with the Person of the Year Award; Nailze Lima, Intake Coordinator and Interpreter at the MetroWest Legal Services, with the MAPS Mary & Manuel Rogers Lifetime Community Service Award; and Paul Ferreira, President of the Cambridge Printing Company, with the MAPS Álvaro Lima Outstanding Business Award.
Rafael Caires and Beatriz Rosado will kick off the ceremony by performing classic Brazilian, Portuguese, and Cabo-Verdean songs. Caires is a musician, songwriter, and guitar player from Valadares, Brazil, whose passion for music started at an early age. His musical influences range from Brazilian samba and bossa-nova classics to instrumental rock and 70s soul and funk. He has released three studio albums, including his most recent work Só Coisa Boa”, a musical and visual tour of his hometown in Brazil. He is regularly joined on stage by his wife Bruna Rosado, who plays the tambourine.
During dinner, DJ Adilson, a well-known name in the Boston club scene, will play soothing background music, and following the award ceremony, he will entice guests to the dance floor with lively dance beats for the event’s after-party.
The health and social services organization is still seeking support for its fundraiser and invites local businesses and entrepreneurs to purchase advertisements in the Gala Program Book and Community Directory, which will be distributed to the 400 gala guests and hundreds more throughout the year. There are several sizes available, from business card ads at $250 to full-page color ads at $1,000. To learn more, please visit maps-inc.org/gala2023 or contact Sam Hickson, MAPS Development Manager, by emailing shickson@maps-inc.org or calling 617-864-7600.
Community members interested in attending the fundraiser can still visit maps-inc.org/gala2023 to reserve their tickets online. Reservations can also be made by contacting Lucinda Morais, Director of Administration and Human Resources, at 617-864-7600 or by email at lmorais@maps-inc.org. A fantastic selection of complimentary wines from Portugal will be served during dinner, courtesy of Bronze sponsor M.S. Walker.
The MAPS 2023 Awards Gala is presented by the Diamond sponsors group of Dunkin’ franchisees, the Cafua, Couto, Sardinha, and Serpa families. The community celebration is also supported by Accutronics, Inc., East Cambridge Savings Bank, Joe & Dorothy Chaves Foundation, and Naveo Credit Union (Emerald sponsors); Gilead Sciences (Gold); Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Eastern Bank, and Globo Travel Tours, Inc. and Latam Airlines (Silver); and Cambridge Printing Company, Cambridge Savings Bank, Coelho Realty Group, Cruz Companies, M.S. Walker, Point 32 Health, and S&F Concrete (Bronze).