Señoras of Excellence Señores of Distinction Awards Gala

By Chanelle Hayes / Photography courtesy of Cashman Photo

The late Sandy Colón Peltyn was a career-driven woman who dedicated her life to giving back to the community. Her love for philanthropy resulted in her forming the Sandy Peltyn Foundation of Excellence, a nonprofit organization supporting the educational growth of young Latinos in the Las Vegas community through events such as the annual Señoras of Excellence Señores of Distinction Awards Gala.

“I met Sandy in 2003 when she hosted her first gala,” says Maggie Arias-Petrel, currently serving as the president of the Sandy Peltyn Foundation of Excellence. “I wanted to learn more about her nonprofit and the gala. We kept in touch and got to know each other better.” Arias-Petrel and Peltyn formed a strong bond and were close-knit until her passing in 2018. “Sandy was like a big sister to me and an incredible mentor from whom I learned a lot.”

Arias-Petrel continues to honor the life and legacy of Peltyn with the support of distinguished community leaders who serve as board members, such as Robert Dolan, Linda Esposito, Lynette Chappelle, Laurie Travis, Judy Fleishman, Ixela Gutierrez, RayAnn Arguello, Brissa Arana, Patricia Alcalde, alongside with R.J. Peltyn, Sandy’s son, who is also devoted to the cause initiated by Sandy.

Together, they plan the Señoras of Excellence Señores of Distinction Awards Gala, an elegant night with dinner, entertainment, dancing, music, and a live auction. The gala benefits Latino students pursuing higher education and has generated more than 5,000 scholarships for high school students in Nevada.

The Sandy Peltyn Foundation of Excellence is looking to expand the scholarship program with help from the National Institute for the Advancement of Education, which works to transform education through innovation, excellence, evidence, and equity. “They will assist us with research and studies to see where the population needs financial education assistance the most,” Arias-Petrel said. “For instance, we need more careers in healthcare. We have a huge shortage of medical providers at all levels—not just doctors—we need nurses, CNAs, therapists, middle-level providers, and technicians. Another area we would like to focus on is education because of the shortage of teachers and educators. We want to help more students benefit from this scholarship.”

Besides honoring students and past scholarship recipients, the Señoras of Excellence Señores of Distinction Awards Gala recognizes women and men who impact the Las Vegas community and support the Sandy Peltyn Foundation of Excellence’s mission. The foundation selects two recipients each year for the Señoras of Excellence and Señores of Distinction awards.

Arias-Petrel and her team look for many qualities when selecting who to honor. “For the Señoras of Excellence award, we choose a woman who demonstrates what a señora is: someone loyal to family and friends, confident in her beliefs, and is an exceptional listener in every capacity. She is thoughtful, trustworthy, courageous, caring, and inspirational. For the Señores of Distinction award, we think about a man we admire who raises our spirits and never lets us down. He makes sacrifices, shows strength, bases his life on principles, achieves goals he sets for himself, and reaches success and brings others with him.”

The Señoras of Excellence Señores of Distinction Awards Gala was Sandy’s pride and passion. Thanks to the Sandy Peltyn Foundation of Excellence, the event gets bigger and bigger each year, keeping Sandy’s dream alive by bringing the community together for a night of recognition and celebration. “Sandy is somebody that will forever live in our hearts,” Arias-Petrel said. “Still, to this day, if you go anywhere and mention her name, everybody knows and remembers her.”

To learn more about the Señoras of Excellence Señores of Distinction Awards Gala and other ways to support the Sandy Peltyn Foundation of Excellence, visit www.sandypeltynfoundation.org.