Silver & Turquoise Ball

PHOENIX INDIAN CENTER

The Silver & Turquoise Ball: United In Community, Thriving Together

The 42nd Annual Silver & Turquoise Ball, held on Friday, October 17, 2025, was truly a night to remember! This year’s celebration brought together friends, partners, and community leaders for an evening filled with elegance, culture, and heartfelt generosity. Thanks to your incredible support, we achieved record-breaking attendance and fundraising, making this year’s Ball the most successful in our history.

Guests enjoyed an unforgettable evening featuring Indigenous-inspired cuisine designed by this year’s featured chef, Ben Jacobs, an exciting live and silent auction, and a spectacular performance by BYU Living Legends, whose powerful showcase of song and dance brought the spirit of Indigenous cultures to life on stage.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our Event Chair, Governor Stephen Roe Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community, and our Auction Chair, Patty Dimitriou, owner of Hogan Tso Enterprises, for their outstanding leadership and dedication. A heartfelt thank you also goes out to the many generous donors of our silent auction, whose contributions helped make the evening’s fundraising efforts such a tremendous success.

Congratulations to Linda Benally, recipient of the 2025 Leon Grant Spirit of the Community Award, whose leadership and commitment continue to inspire and uplift our community.

Because of your generosity, proceeds from this year’s Ball will directly support the Phoenix Indian Center’s core service areas: workforce development, youth development (college and career readiness), prevention services, civic engagement, and language and culture revitalization.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you again at the 43rd Annual Silver & Turquoise Ball on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Talking Stick Resort — we promise another unforgettable evening of unity, culture, and community!

For questions about future sponsorship opportunities, contact Jolyana Begay-Kroupa at jbegay-kroupa@phxindcenter.org

For updates, follow us on Instagram @SNTBall for exciting announcements, updates and artist profiles!

2025 Event Chair

“As Governor of the Gila River Indian Community, I am proud to support the annual Silver & Turquoise Ball. This event is more than a celebration — it is a testament to the strength, resilience, and future of our Native people. By coming together to support the Phoenix Indian Center, we ensure that vital resources, educational opportunities, and cultural programs continue to empower our communities and uplift the next generation of leaders. Our collective commitment to this cause honors our ancestors and builds a stronger path forward for all Tribal Nations.”

– Governor Stephen Lewis

Gila River Indian Community

Watch Gov. Lewis’s Message to Attendees: Click here

Linda Benally Named 2025 Leon Grant Spirit of the Community Honoree

The Phoenix Indian Center is pleased to announce that Linda Benally, a corporate attorney at Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, will receive the esteemed Leon Grant Spirit of the Community Award at this year’s Silver & Turquoise Ball, recognizing her outstanding leadership and service.

She is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and has been a trailblazer in the legal field dedicating her career to advancing Native representation, co-founding the Native American Bar Association of Arizona and serving on numerous influential boards. A signature moment during the Silver & Turquoise Ball is the presentation of the Leon Grant Spirit of the Community Award, given in honor of the Center’s founding director, Leon Grant (Omaha).

Silver & Turquoise Ball Silent Auction Chair Patty Dimitriou

We’re thrilled to welcome Patty Dimitriou back as Auction Committee Chair, bringing her dedication and community spirit to support the Phoenix Indian Center.

Patty, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, has been a significant supporter of our programs. Through the Rez Riders Motorcycle Club, Patty has served as the lead organizer for the annual Thunderbird Throttle, with proceeds benefiting MMIP efforts and the Phoenix Indian Center Youth Council’s MMIP awareness efforts. With a passion for community and culture, Patty will lead our fundraising efforts to help us support the wellbeing of our people. Interested in donating or sponsoring? Contact Info@PhxIndCenter.org or 602-264-6768

Featured Chef Ben Jacobs

This year we are excited to highlight Chef Ben Jacobs (Osage Nation of Oklahoma), co-owner of the phenomenal Tocabe, an American Indian Eatery in Denver, who is creating an incredible menu of delicious food for our event! Over the last 16 years as a professional chef, restaurateur and food aggregator Ben has traveled to tribal communities throughout the US and Canada learning firsthand about traditional ingredients, cooking methods, techniques and recipes to help share the stories of those holding Native culinary wisdom.

For over a decade on a national level Ben has worked with the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations advocating for feeding Native peoples while supporting how best to incorporate local and traditional ingredients in collaboration with commodity ingredients to support better individual health and nutrition.

We are excited and can’t wait to see what Chef Ben has in store for our event!