PALCUS to take 35th-anniversary awards gala to the Azores

By AI, Created 10:54 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – PALCUS has announced its 2026 Leadership Awards honorees as the organization marks 35 years and moves its annual gala to Ponta Delgada, Azores, on Oct. 17, 2026. The shift underscores the group’s effort to connect Portuguese-Americans in the U.S. with ancestral roots while raising funds for advocacy work.

Why it matters: - PALCUS is using its 35th anniversary to spotlight Portuguese-American leadership across public service, education, medicine, journalism, sports and community work. - Holding the gala in Ponta Delgada, Azores, puts the organization’s biggest event in Portugal and reinforces ties between the U.S. diaspora and the archipelago. - Funds raised at the gala support PALCUS advocacy on domestic policy and international relations affecting the Luso-American community.

What happened: - PALCUS announced the recipients of its 2026 Leadership Awards. - The 28th Annual PALCUS Leadership Awards Gala is set for Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at the Coliseu Micaelense in Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal. - PALCUS described the move as a “full circle” moment for its 35th anniversary.

The details: - Community Service honoree Márcia Sousa Da Ponte is a former vice consul at the Portuguese Vice Consulate in Providence with nearly a decade of diplomatic and governmental advisory experience. - Education honoree Rui Albuquerque is a professor in the Seidner Department of Finance at the Boston College Carroll School of Management. - Science and Medicine honoree Dr. Sandra Pimentel is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. - Journalism honoree Rosemarie Pinho Kasica is a business administration manager with CNN and a three-time Peabody Award recipient for broadcast journalism. - Sports honoree Pedro “Pauleta” Resendes is a former Portuguese striker widely regarded as a legend. - Lifetime Achievement honorees are Onésimo Almeida, professor emeritus of Portuguese and Brazilian studies at Brown University, and Phillip Rapoza, chief justice emeritus of the Massachusetts Appeals Court and honorary consul of Timor-Leste for New England. - Young Portuguese American “Promessa” honoree Kyle Neves received PALCUS’s National Scholarship in 2024 and now serves as a NextGen co-leader. - Outstanding Organization honoree Portuguese Tribune has served the Portuguese-American community as a bilingual newspaper since 1979. - PALCUS says it represents the national interests of more than 2 million Americans of Portuguese descent. - PALCUS was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. - The organization is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit. - Ticket information is available at the gala ticket page. - PALCUS says special member and early-bird pricing is available for a limited time. - Travel arrangements are being handled through Azur Travel. - PALCUS also shared social media links on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Between the lines: - The Azores venue gives the awards a symbolic dimension beyond a standard gala. - PALCUS is positioning the event as both a celebration and a strategic gathering for community advocacy. - The honoree list mixes established leaders, emerging talent and a long-running media outlet, signaling an emphasis on continuity as well as reach.

What’s next: - PALCUS will hold the gala in October 2026 and use the event to set its agenda for the coming year. - Ticket sales and travel coordination are already open. - The organization is expected to use the gala to rally donors, members and community leaders around its policy priorities.

The bottom line: - PALCUS is turning its 35th anniversary into a transatlantic showcase of Portuguese-American influence, with the Azores gala serving as both celebration and advocacy platform.