Tony and Milena Astorga to Chair Annual Crozier Gala

Phoenix, AZ, July 15, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Recently retired Blue Cross Blue Shield Senior Vice President, CFO & Chief Business Development Officer, Tony Astorga, and his wife Milena have agreed to chair the Catholic Community Foundation’s annual fundraiser, the Crozier Gala.

Now in its 24th year and in conjunction with Arizona’s centennial celebrations, the 2012 Crozier Gala will be held for the first time in downtown Phoenix on Saturday, April 14, 2012. A reception will be hosted in the plaza of the Diocesan Pastoral Center, followed by dinner, entertainment and dancing in the North Ballroom of the Phoenix Convention Center. Past chairs of the event include Nancy Bidwill, Claudia Critchfield and most recently Candace Wiest. The Crozier Gala has raised over $3 million to continue the good works of the Catholic Community Foundation.

The Astorgas say this of the Gala, “We are very honored by the invitation to chair the 2012 Crozier Gala. We have attended most of the Gala events since its inception and applaud the 23 dedicated leaders who have come before us. We respect and support the work of the Catholic Community Foundation and wish to continue to faithfully serve and contribute to the needs of our growing community. We can only hope that others feel the same and will help to secure vital services and education for future generations by attending and supporting the 2012 Crozier Gala.”

Both Milena and Tony Astorga are actively involved in myriad community organizations and philanthropic activities. Tony serves on various boards, including the Arizona Community Foundation, ASU Foundation and currently serves as the chairman of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He has previously served in community leadership roles as chair of the Diocesan Finance Council and co-chair of the Governor’s Citizens Finance Review Commission, Maricopa Community Colleges’ ACE Campaign, and Governor’s Film and Television Commission. Milena is a community volunteer who currently is a master docent at the Phoenix Art Museum. She has previously served on the board of Friends of European Art and worked in several charitable organizations that educate and benefit children in our community, including the Assistance League of Phoenix and the Mexican Cultural Center. Milena and Tony were both recently honored by the Phoenix Art Museum with the “2011 Exemplary Service Award.”

About Catholic Community Foundation
The Catholic Community Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) that serves families and individuals in their charitable giving and fosters philanthropy in support of the mission of the Roman Catholic Church, is uniquely positioned to carry out endowment building efforts and currently manages endowment funds for 150 agencies, including 70 Catholic parishes and 41 Catholic schools. The Foundation promotes charitable giving through gift annuities, estate gifts, family funds, special events and scholarship funds.

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