America’s Polo Cup celebrates Italy vs. U.S.
Historic Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia, is the site of the annual America’s Polo Cup with a match between the U.S. team and Italy’s top polo players on May 9 and 10. The weekend event highlights the best American and Italian food, fashion, and music. Festivities include a fashion show, culinary competitions, wine presentations, and musical performances by well-known artists.

Proceeds from the weekend will benefit the Journey for the Cure Foundation, which helps fund scientific grants for leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple sclerosis research. The U.S. Army, Navy, and Coast Guard bands will perform during pre-game and half-time shows.

A trophy presentation and fireworks display will close the two-day event. Sponsors include NIAF and the Italian Embassy. For more information visit www.AmericasPoloCup.com.

Bravo, Auguri!
Dave Savini, investigative reporter for CBS 2 in Chicago, recently received the DuPont Award from Columbia University for his year-long, hidden-camera investigation. Savini’s series, “Fly At Your Own Risk,” uncovered loopholes with security at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Savini and producer Michele Youngerman’s news reports exposed security breaches including missing security badges, repeated failures to inspect staff before they entered the airport’s employee entrance, and allowing workers with criminal histories access to planes.

The 2008 Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award-winners were chosen from a pool of 510 radio and television news entries aired between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007. The awards honor excellence in broadcast journalism.

Savini has been a strong supporter of NIAF and co-hosted the Foundation’s media forum in Chicago with Janet Davies, executive producer for ABC 7 in 2006.

Pesce d’Aprile--April Fool’s Day in Italy
In Italy, Il Pesce d’ Aprile (April Fool’s trick) is a day for practical jokes. On April 1, children secretly attach a paper cutout of a pesciolino (small fish) to their friends’ backs as a prank. This day is not only for children. Adults play jokes on their co-workers and friends, trying to catch an unsuspecting person off guard. The following day, the media reports il Miglior Pesce d’ Aprile (the best trick).

New York Italian film festival
Dove Entertainment will hold a five-day Italian film festival in New York City to honor the best new films in Italian cinema from April 9-13. A two-day conference, “Everything Italian,” and a student workshop are also scheduled during the festival. Several short and feature-length films will be shown each day, along with food and cocktails. There will also be an opportunity to meet the filmmakers. On the final day, films will be given awards based on popularity.

The festival’s goal is to establish closer ties between the American and Italian film industries and attract younger Italian-Americans to the event. Sponsors include NIAF and Filmitalia. For more information, visit www.newyorkitalianfilmfestival.com.

Looking for a job in Italy?
NIAF’s Web site now offers a link to CareerBuilder.com, the largest recruitment and career advancement resource, to facilitate job searches in Italy. With more than 1.5 million jobs and 22 million visitors a month, the site offers career advice, resume writing and interview tips. Employment opportunities are categorized by location and area of expertise, such as accounting, banking, engineering, etc. Job hunting in Italy is now just a click away, so visit www.niaf.org/careerbuilder.

Web sites to explore
TrenItalia.com is the official Web site for the Italian train services. Visitors can search train schedules, book reservations, and get the latest updates on delays and cancellations. ItalianAmericanShowcase.com serves as a portal to locate Italian and Italian-American businesses. Visitors can search by company name, category, or location. A directory lists everything from foods to physicians.

ItalianFoodNet.com is Web-based television for those who love Italian food and wine. The site offers cooking videos, tips on Italian wines and provides links to Italian restaurants around the world.

Take a ride on a gondola in the U.S.
For almost a thousand years, Venetians used the gondola as their main source of transportation. Today, the practice has spread to the United States and gondola rides are an attraction in many cities. For more information, contact one of these locations:

The Central Park Boathouse: New York, NY (212) 517-2233
The Gondola Company: San Diego, CA (619) 429-6317
La Gondola: Providence, RI (401) 421-8877
The Venetian Hotel: Las Vegas, NV (702) 414-4500
Gondola Getaways: Long Beach, CA (562) 433-9595
Gondola di Venezia: Boston, MA (800) 979-3370
Gondola Tours: Fort Lauderdale, FL (877) 9-ANCHOR
Sunset Gondola: Huntington Beach, CA (562) 592-3295