(Washington, DC – December 12, 2003) The Spa Bar, San Francisco’s premier day spa, night spa and salon, South of Market District (SOMA), hosted the National Italian American Foundation’s (NIAF) second media networking dinner on Thursday evening, December 4. Spa owners Ken Go and Galen Yuen donated the spa’s premises and a “Day at the Spa” as a holiday gift. Italy’s Consul General in San Francisco, Francesco Sciortino, drew the winning business card — Amy Ruth Baker, NIAF 2003 grant recipient and director of La Piccola Scuola Italiana.

Twenty journalists of Italian heritage and Italian journalists in the print and electronic media attended the Foundation’s networking dinner to meet new colleagues, foster friendships and learn about the NIAF. Jeffrey M. Capaccio, Esq., NIAF regional vice president in the Far-West Region and partner at the Silicon Valley law firm of Carr & Ferrell LLP, welcomed the guests. NIAF PresidentJoseph R. Cerrell traveled from Los Angeles to meet the journalists. Narda Zacchino, deputy editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and Federico Rampini, editor & senior columnist at La Repubblica co-chaired the dinner.

Also present at the dinner was 2003 NIAF scholarship recipient Elizabeth Berselli, a graduate student at Stanford University. Berselli received the NIAF/Jerry Colangelo Scholarship. This year, NIAF awarded $1.3 million in culture and language grants and scholarships to hundreds of students across the U.S.

The Italian food was donated and catered by Ristorante Umbria, located at 198 Second Street, just down the street from the Spa Bar. Proprietor Giulio Tempesta arranged for Catherine Fallis, master Sommelier, to pour the wines. Lorenzo Scarpone, president of Villa Italia, selected and donated the evening’s wines, including the critically acclaimed Pierpaolo Pecorari Soris Chardonnay 1999, Montefalco Rosso Riserva Caprai 1996, and Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Gold Label.

To learn about the NIAF’s scholarships, grants, events and initiatives, visit www.niaf.org For more information on the Spa Bar go to www.spa-bar.com