Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
They say it takes a whole village to raise a child. In the case of Casa Italia, Italian Americans across the metropolitan area recently rallied around the beloved institution.
The Casa was hit particularly hard by the pandemic last year, canceling its spring gala and losing a quarter of its operating revenue in one fell swoop. But when the going got tough, the community kicked into a higher gear.
Major donations flowed in from the Arcolian Dental Society, the Columbian Club, the Frank and Dolores Corbett Charitable Fund, the Italian American Veterans Museum, Italidea-Midwest, John Lagattuta, Dr. Paul and Ann Rubino, Associazione San Rocco Di Valenzano, the Sicilian Heritage Museum, Società S. Francesco Di Paola and the Turano family.
The sale of commemorative plaques and live tree sponsorships raised more than $100,000, Dancing Under the Stars and the Christmas Village yielded record returns, and a Christmas appeal added thousands of dollars to the coffer. (See page 56 for a complete listing.)
“We’re so grateful to all those who stepped up when we needed them most,” says the Casa’s recently elected chairman, Ron Onesti.
For a downloadable PDF thanking 2021 supporters, click here.
With the gala shelved again this year, Onesti is working on a series of entertainment-based fundraisers to fill the breach.
In the meantime, plaques and tree sponsorships can be purchased at casaitaliachicago.org.
