Tag Archives: CIACO

  The Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization one-upped itself at this year’s Honor & Hope Gala, bestowing 20 scholarships at $2,500 each, plus an additional $35,000 in grants to two military veterans and three families with medical hardships, for a grand total of $85,000. Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, who was made an honorary CIACO member at the event, introduced Dominic Saverino Humanitarian of the Year Award recipient Joe Calafiore. Bridget Fretz received a CIACO grant to assist with the care of her son, Austin, a veteran who was critically injured in a car accident after completion of his …

The Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization is proud to be able to support a wounded veteran each year at its Honor and Hope Gala. This year, CIACO donate $10,000 to retired Army Captain Raymond A. Fleig and his family. In July 2007, Captain Raymond A. Fleig U.S. Army (Retired) was a Platoon Leader in Iraq with the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. While he was on a Forward Operating Base (FOB Hammer) they received incoming mortar rounds. After the initial barrage, his Platoon Sergeant, the next in the chain of command, and he went to check accountability of the 63 …

The Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization will present local CPA and longtime member Kenneth Kolnicki with the Dominic Saverino Humanitarian of the Year Award at this year’s Honor and Hope Gala. CIACO will present 15 students with $2,000 scholarships at the event, continuing a 27-year tradition that has bestowed more than half a million dollars of financial aid upon college-bound seniors. Donations also will be made to a wounded veteran and the family of a severely disabled young man, as well as Serenity House in Addison, which provides residential and outpatient treatment services to adults recovering from substance abuse and …

by Vito Cavallo The Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization held its annual Honor & Hope Gala at the Alta Villa in Addison. More than 300 were in attendance as CIACO, doing what it does best, gave back to the community in a big way CIACO can state for the record that 100 percent of its year-round fundraising goes to charitable causes. (Membership dues cover all administrative costs.) On this one night alone, we gave out $52,000. Twenty deserving students received scholarships of $2,000 each. A wounded veteran was given $5,000 to help alleviate his financial hardships. A local organization that …

CIACO will host its dinner dance on April 27 at Alta Villa Banquets in Addison. Dennis Pietrini will be honored as Humanitarian of the Year at the event, Marine Lance Cp. Joseph Singer will receive an Honor and Hope Grant, and 15 students will receive scholarships at the event. For details, call 630-400-9908. So you’ve had a successful 42-year career as a dentist. Think of all the people you helped, and how many smiles you were a part of. For CIACO, where bringing smiles to those less fortunate is our greatest motivation, making Dr. Dennis Pietrini our 2013 Dominic Saverino …

The Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization hosted another spectacularly successful Thanksgiving food drive. Dubbed “Baskets of Love,” the annual charitable campaign rallies the assistance of countless volunteers, donors and financial contributors. More than 225 volunteers converged on Buona Beef’s commissary in Berwyn on Nov. 18 to assemble 500 Thanksgiving baskets containing more than 50 pounds of groceries, including whole turkeys. Lending a hand was CIACO stalwart Dennis McKinnon of the 1985 Super Bowl-champion Chicago Bears. The completed baskets were whisked off to needy families across the Chicago area. Special thanks go out to the following companies for their generous contributions …