Celebrating Community: Marka Foundation Receives Arts & Culture Award at the 3rd Annual Unidos Jax Gala

On Thursday, September 17, our dancers took the stage at the Jacksonville Public Library's Main Library for the 3rd Annual Unidos Jax Gala Awards Dinner, an evening hosted by the Mayor's Hispanic American Advisory Board celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and the leaders shaping Jacksonville's Hispanic community.

Marka Foundation performed a 30-minute set for the evening's guests, featuring Joropo, Sevillanas, Rumbas Flamencas, waltz, and Por Amor a Venezuela, a closing piece blending joropo, tambores, and waltz. We were deeply honored to receive the 2026 Unidos Jax Arts & Culture Award, recognizing our work keeping folkloric dance traditions alive in Northeast Florida.

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Unidos Jax was established in 2024 by Yanira "Yaya" Cardona, the City of Jacksonville's Hispanic Outreach Coordinator, and has quickly become one of the signature gatherings of Hispanic Heritage Month in our city. This year's gala brought together community members, families, artists, and civic leaders for an evening of food, music, dancing, and awards. Mayor Donna Deegan addressed attendees remotely, and the evening also celebrated young leaders, honored the DCPS Hispanic Heritage Essay Contest winners, and paid tribute to the legacy of Belen Altuve Blanton.

We are grateful to Unidos Jax and the Mayor's Hispanic American Advisory Board for this recognition and for building a stage where our culture shines. To our dancers, families, and every supporter who believes in this mission: this award belongs to all of us.