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Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of Italian Unity in Miami

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Elissa Ruffino (NIAF) 202/939-3106 or elissa@niaf.org


MEDIA ADVISORY

EVENT: Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of Italian Unity

SPONSORS: The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) in Conjunction with the Frank J. Guarini/NIAF Media Forums

WHEN: Thursday, April 7, 2011
6 p.m. Program

WHERE: The Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College
600 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, Fla.

Join Dr. Eduardo J. Padron, president of Miami Dade College, Marco Rocca, Italy’s consul general in Miami, Arthur J. Furia, Esq., NIAF’s general counsel, Tomas Regalado, mayor of Miami, and community leaders to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy at a special reception in Miami on April 7, 2011.

Hon. Patricia de Stacy Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and a NIAF vice chairwoman, is the keynote speaker. She will discuss the Italian and American ties that join us culturally and educationally.

During the celebratory reception, Mayor Regalado will present Mr. Furia with a Proclamation from the City of Miami honoring Italy and commemorating this historic milestone. Mr. Furia will present Sister Lucia Ceccotti, executive director of The Marian Center, with a NIAF check to help the center further reach its goals of helping children with developmental problems, www.mariancenterschool.org.

Italian tenor Roberto Iarussi will perform the U.S. and Italian National anthems during the reception. www.robertoiarussi.com. Guests will receive a complimentary copy of “Deeds of My Fathers” by Paul David Pope, whose parents Generoso and Lois B. Pope were the founders of Il Progresso—the first Italian American newspaper in the United States. http://www.thedeedsofmyfathers.com/ppope-deeds-excerpts.htm.

Media Contacts: Elissa Ruffino at 202/939-3106 or elissa@niaf.org
Natasha Borato at 202/939-3116 or natasha@niaf.org

This year marks the 150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy. This historical event is also known as il Risorgimento, or Resurgence of Italy. Prior to the unification, the Italian peninsula was composed of separate states under different rule. The most famous face of Italian Unification was Giuseppe Garibaldi. As an Italian national hero, he led the Italian patriots in an effort to combine the states and territories of Italy into a unified country.

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to preserving the heritage of Italian Americans. Visit www.niaf.org.