Onyx Gala – Friday, September 25, 2026
Indiana Roof Ballroom
Downtown Indianapolis
6 p.m.
With Emcee Rafael Sanchez
Rafael Sanchez Bio
Rafael is a multiple Emmy-award winning Anchor and Reporter at Fox59/CBS4 in Indianapolis.
He co-anchors the 4 p.m. news “First at Four” and advocates for people seeking solutions to a problem through the station’s franchise segment known as #CallRafael.
Rafael’s daily goal is to be community involved and invested. He participates in several dozen community events. His specialty is helping groups raise their fundraising goal by bringing focus, vibrancy, and fun. As the son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, he lends his time and energy to charities that champion education, promote self-empowerment & compassion, and encourage leadership and civic responsibility. For the past two years, he has co-led a gardening charity which has harvested and donated more than 6,000 pounds of fresh produce to local food pantries to tackle food insecurity.
Rafael came to Indiana from the Bronx, New York to attend Franklin College of Indiana where he triple majored in Journalism, Political Science, and Spanish. Currently, he proudly serves on the Franklin College Board of Trustees.
Please Make Plans to Join Us!
Mark your calendars for the inaugural Onyx Gala. You won’t want to miss this spectacular evening in support of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. All proceeds will go to benefit scholarships for students at SMWC.
If you would like to learn more about how to attend the Onyx Gala, please click below.
If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please email galasponsorship@smwc.edu
Click the link below to review and choose sponsorship level.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Special Overnight Room Rates
If preferred to reserve a suite in the group block over the phone, call 317-236-1800 and ask for reservations. Provide the arrival/departure dates of your stay and mention group code 92O. Verify the group name is The Onyx Gala. Verify the group rate of $299.00 per night for a King Bed Suite plus taxes. The booking agent will ask for credit card information to guarantee the room.
As a reminder, reservations must be made by no later than August 25th at 11:59pm. Any unreserved overnight rooms will be released on your cutoff date unless you choose to guarantee room(s) to the master that cannot be canceled.
__________________________________________________________________________________
