The 2011 Venetian Ball – Songs of Hope This Past Year Marked Performance by the 40 Years of Villa Canadian Tenors
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Fall / Winter NEW THISFriends ISSUE of Villa Charities 2011-12 Villa Charities 2 The 2011 Venetian Ball – Songs of Hope This past year marked performance by the 40 years of Villa Canadian Tenors. To Charities providing end the show, the co- Villa Colombo 4 culturally sensitive chairs, lead sponsors care and services to and musical guests the community. The led the audience in a year was full of rousing rendition of special events and Giuseppe Verdi’s “Va activities to celebrate Pensiero”. “The this milestone, so it annual Venetian Ball Villa Colombo Vaughan Di Poce Centre 6 was only fitting that is an extraordinary the organization’s evening celebrating signature event – The the passion of Italian Venetian Ball – was culture and The 2011 Venetian Ball Co-Chairs Tony Gagliano and Rudolph P. Bratty with Lina Gagliano, also a part of the Catherine Bratty and the Canadian Tenors. community,” says celebration in Bratty. “This year’s addition to commemorating the 150th anniversary of gala, from the outstanding performances, new venue the unification of Italy. and culinary originality, sets the bar for the future of this Carrier Gallery 8 event. I am thankful for the support of our sponsors and While it may seem like a daunting task to try to top an guests for making the 2011 Venetian Ball a smashing event that BizBash magazine ranked 6th for the second success.” year in a row for benefits in its listing for Toronto’s Top 100 Events in 2010, this year’s co-chairs of The Venetian Post performance, guests were free to explore the Ball were more than up to the job. Both Rudolph P. centre and partake in the wide array of food stations Bratty and Tony Gagliano ensured that the gala, held on from some of the city’s top restaurants and suppliers, October 29, was unlike any other. For the first time ever, including 10tation Catering, Lago, Niagara Food Centro Scuola 10 the event was held at Specialties, Phipps the Four Seasons Desserts, Ristorante Centre for the Boccaccio, Sotto Sotto Performing Arts, and Ristorante, The included an Country Kitchen, The unforgettable Culinary Studio, showcase of Italian and The Terrace, We Bake Report to Donors 11 Canadian music. in Heels, Alfa Cappuccino Imports, As soon as guests Caliber Fine Wines and entered the Four Spirits Inc. and Noble Seasons Centre, they Estates Wines and were surrounded by Spirits Inc. the spirit and feel of Venice’s Carnevale. Lucas Sorbara, musical guest Martina Sorbara and Dan Kurtz After the reception, VITA/Mens Sana 17 Gourmet hors the Four Seasons stage d’oeuvres and drinks was transformed for were passed around as the distinguished crowd mingled more than 600 people into a deluxe dining experience – in the main foyer. Shortly after, the nearly 1,500 guests with the gourmet meal provided by Chef Mark were ushered into the theatre and treated to a McEwan’s North 44 Caterers – followed by an evening of spectacular 75-minute performance. The concert dancing and celebration. During the meal, the Canadian featured memorable performances by musical talents Tenors treated the diners to an encore performance. such as Rufus Wainwright, Measha Brueggergosman and For more coverage of the Venetian Ball please see Columbus Centre 18 Dragonette’s Martina Sorbara, as well as a surprise Report to Donors. Villa Charities VILLA CHARITIES INC. BOARD OF GOVERNORS It Happened in Italy… IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR From November 1 to 9, the 31st Annual Holocaust Salerno, in the heart of southern Italy, which was home Nick Torchetti Education Week was held throughout the GTA. This to an internment camp for Jews during WWII. In order CHAIR year’s event focused on the theme of to gain a better perspective of what truly Nina Perfetto accountability, and commemorated the occurred during the war, Bettina travelled VICE-CHAIR 50th anniversary of the trial of Adolf to Italy five different times with internees, Aldo Cundari Eichmann and the 65th anniversary of the bringing them back to the villages in which TREASURER Nuremberg trials. The week’s offerings they had been interned. By doing so, she Mark Di Vito included exhibits, lectures, performances, was able to reconnect the survivors with SECRETARY film screenings and book readings. One the individuals who assisted in saving their Nick Sgro such reading, of “It Happened in Italy: lives. Bettina’s book shares stories of Untold Stories of How the People of Italy survival and faith in the midst of sadness GOVERNORS Nick Ametrano Defied the Horrors of the Holocaust”, was and terror. It is an inspirational work that Lorraine Bortolussi conducted by Italian American author Elizabeth Bettina brings readers back to a period of horror and uncertainty Paul Bottos at Villa Colombo on November 3. During the event, and illustrates the discovery and journey of the untold John Bozzo Bettina discussed with her audience of over 150 people stories of what happened in Italy during the Second Rudolph P. Bratty her discovery of her grandparents’ village in Campagna, World War. Frank Chiarotto Lisa Damiani Frank De Luca Cambridge Food & Wine Society Mario Giampietri On Friday, October 21, the Karen Manarin Cambridge Food & Wine Society Edward Mancinelli held its “2011 Cambridge Awards of Nick Manocchio Excellence Series” at the Columbus Brian Naraine Centre. At the event, Senator Stephen Shulman Pamela Wallin received a Lifetime Joseph Ta nzola Rina Tiberini Achievement Award for outstanding Santo Veltri contribution to multiculturalism in Canada. In 1992, Senator Wallin PRESIDENT & CEO Pal Di Iulio was the first Canadian woman to co-anchor Prime Time News, the DIRECTOR OF FINANCE nightly CBC national newscast. She Ugo Di Federico was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 2009. Last year’s Lifetime The Cambridge Food & Wine activities. The Society has a library Achievement Award recipient, Ted Society was co-founded in 1988 by of books and periodicals on Kotcheff, the producer of Law & Professor Chef Leo Chan and J.P. hospitality and conducts beer and Order: Special Victims Unit, was on Michelini of the George Brown wine tours. It also provides annual hand to present the award to College Hospitality Centre. The scholarship funds to accomplished Senator Wallin. At the same event, members meet regularly for high school, university and Pal Di Iulio received the Remy gourmet food and wine tasting and community college students. Martin Award. other educational and philanthropic On October 13, the chefs and staff members at On September 23, Toni Ciccarelli celebrated her 96th Ristorante Boccaccio had the welcome surprise of birthday with family and friends at the Columbus serving dinner for Prime Minister Stephen Harper Centre. Toni has been a volunteer with Villa Charities and his guests. While at Boccaccio, the PM remarked for 35 years and a great supporter to many causes. on how much he enjoyed his visit and meal – no Grazie, Toni! Happy birthday and all the best for reservation needed! many more years to come! 2 x Villa Charities Newsletter Villa Charities Villa Charities Toronto Arts Foundation Awards Newsletter is a Congratulations to Roberto Martella, who was nominated as one of fifteen publication of finalists for the 2011 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards, which celebrate those Villa Charities Inc. individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to © 2011 All rights reserved Toronto’s vibrant artistic and cultural life. Martella is a longtime supporter of EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Villa Charities and a current governor on the Columbus Centre Board. He has Karen Manarin owned and operated grano restaurant for the past 25 years with his wife Nick Manocchio Lucia, and welcomes all manner of socio-cultural organizations to use the Brian Naraine location to stage events and fundraisers. Martella was nominated for the Nina Perfetto Toronto Arts and Business Award along with The Drake Hotel and TD Bank Rina Tiberini Group. The award celebrates a local business that has made an important VILLA CHARITIES INC. contribution to the arts in Toronto through innovative, transformative and PRESIDENT & CEO entrepreneurial partnerships. Auguri, Roberto! Palmacchio (Pal) Di Iulio COMMUNICATIONS & Terroni! Theatre.IV.Mimmo: The MARKETING COORDINATOR On November 13, “Operazione Terronica! Stefanie Polsinelli Conference on the 1861 ‘Unification’ of Italy: Beginning of a Dream DESIGN AND PRODUCTION The Untold Story” took place at Villa This past September, Rose Napoli was able to see the COORDINATION Colombo. The event was held in response to beginnings of a dream realized. A young actress new to Giancarlo Piccin a discussion which began in June during the city, Napoli had a very specific goal in mind: to start celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the a theatre company in the name of her late father. LAYOUT unification of Italy. When Napoli was in her first years of university, Brian Boyd Nearly 100 people attended the daylong Domenico “Mimmo” Napoli was tragically killed in an event to hear the guest speakers share their automobile accident at the age of forty-five. Now, eight VILLA CHARITIES revisionist views on the subject. Those on the years later, she honours the memory of Mimmo, the FOUNDATION man who first inspired her to dream the unimaginable. panel were: Pino Aprile, Italian journalist and EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR author of Terroni and Giu’ On September 14 and 15, in the Rotonda of the Joseph Anne Simone Al Sud; Antonio Ciano, D. Carrier Art Gallery at the Columbus Centre, Italian author of Il Theatre.IV.Mimmo presented a workshop production of EVENT COORDINATOR Massacro del Sud; and the classic Arthur Miller play, “A View from the Bridge”. AND SUPPORT Rocco Galati, Canadian The production starred Napoli, Anita LaSelva, Adrian Cinzia Del Zotto constitutional lawyer. Griffin, Stefano DiMatteo, Ryan Tilley, Marc Bondy, www.villacharities.com (Lorenzo Del Boca, Italian David Gingerich and Frank Ruffo.