Top image: Rep. Ro Khanna at a Santa Clara town hall, 2020. Photo: Office of Rep. Ro Khanna (public domain) via Wikimedia Commons

Tonight, Saturday, Oct. 17, is one of the busiest nights on the South Bay’s philanthropic calendar. Three galas, within a few miles of each other in San Jose and Santa Clara, will draw executives, elected officials, and donors to three quite different causes: Latino talent in STEM, pediatric cancer research, and civil rights. Together they give a snapshot of what Silicon Valley’s giving class chooses to fund.

The Hispanic Foundation Ball: building the pipeline

The Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley holds its 37th annual Hispanic Foundation Ball in San Jose. The foundation calls it its premier gala, and the event raises money for STEM workforce development for Latino students and professionals. It is expected to draw dozens of sponsors and hundreds of guests. Its sponsorship pitch promises exposure to “hundreds of Silicon Valley executives, elected officials, and education leaders,” with a VIP reception for sponsors.

Unravel’s Glitter Gala: ten years downtown

Unravel Pediatric Cancer holds its 10th annual Glitter Gala from 5:30 to 11 p.m. at The GlassHouse, 84 W. Santa Clara St. in downtown San Jose. Tickets are $285 per person, $520 per pair, and $2,350 for a table of 10. The organization says all proceeds support research into innovative, less-toxic treatments for children with cancer. The evening includes dinner, auctions, and a silent auction that is already open online.

CAIR-SFBA: a sold-out room of 1,300

At the Santa Clara Convention Center, the San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations holds its 32nd Anniversary Gala, which it says is sold out with more than 1,300 attendees expected. The theme is “Upholding Liberty and Justice for All.” The keynote speaker is author and educator Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X. Remarks will come from Rep. Aisha Wahab, the former state senator from Hayward who was sworn into the U.S. House on Sept. 2 to serve out Eric Swalwell’s term in the 14th Congressional District. The organization will also honor Rep. Ro Khanna, Assemblymember Matt Haney, and the Palestinian Youth Movement. The program begins at 5:30 p.m. and will be livestreamed on CAIR-SFBA’s Instagram.

The long view

Each cause fits the region in its own way. A STEM-workforce ball is an investment in the talent pipeline the local economy depends on. A pediatric-research gala reflects the Valley’s habit of treating disease as an engineering problem worth funding. A civil-rights gala that sells out a convention center, with a sitting congressman among its honorees, is a political event as much as a social one. These evenings have become places where priorities are set and the influence that comes with funding them is exercised. They deserve to be covered for that, not just for who attended.

Sources

• Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, “The Hispanic Foundation Ball”
• Unravel Pediatric Cancer, “2026 Glitter Gala”
• NBC Bay Area, “Aisha Wahab sworn into Congress to fill Eric Swalwell’s seat,” Sept. 2, 2026
• CAIR, media advisory, Oct. 16, 2026