SPONSOR: The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF)

WHEN: Saturday, October 13, 2012
Reception, 7 p.m. Dinner and Awards

WHERE: The Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.

Join more than 2,000 guests including the evening’s master of ceremonies Mike Piazza, 12-time MLB All-Star at the Foundation’s 37th Anniversary Awards Gala. Piazza will be joined by Olympic Gold-winner Hope Solo, ESPN’s Tony Reali, Italian model Fabio, actor Tony Lo Bianco and many other notables.

The 2012 NIAF Gala Honorees:
• Geno Auriemma, Head Coach of the Gold Medal-winning USA Basketball Women’s National Team and Head Woman’s Basketball Coach at the University of Connecticut, will receive the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Sports.
• Mark Del Rosso, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Audi of America, will receive the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Business.
• Giovanni Ferrero, Chief Executive Officer of The Ferrero Group, will receive the NIAF Special Achievement Award in International Business.
• Ralph Izzo, Chairman, President and CEO of the Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG), will receive the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Science and Technology.
• Letizia Moratti, President of Friends of San Patrignano, will receive the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Philanthropy.
• Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, the oldest science academy in the world, will receive a NIAF Special Recognition for Academic Contributions.

During the evening Patricia de Stacy Harrison, a NIAF Vice Chair and President and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, will present Marco Simeon, Director of Government and International Relations at RAI, with a NIAF Special Recognition for International Media Relations. This year’s Gala Weekend will be chaired by NIAF Board Member John F. Scarpa.

Highlights of the NIAF weekend will include the “A Little Moonlight” with Grammy Award-Winning Vocalist Steve Tyrell for an evening of dancing, dinner and entertainment on Friday, October 12, at 8 p.m. in the hotel’s International Ballroom. NIAF will host its signature Celebrity Auction Luncheon as well as feature conferences on immigration and breast cancer, a movie screening of John Turturro’s, “Passione,” and wine tastings featuring a selection of wines and delicacies from Italy’s Region of Calabria, the 2012 Region of Honor.

Tickets to Saturday’s black-tie gala begin at $400 per person. Proceeds benefit NIAF’s educational programs. For tickets or sponsor information, contact Jerry Jones at 202-387-0600 or jerry@niaf.org, or register online at www.niaf.org/gala.

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the heritage and culture of Americans of Italian descent. Visit www.niaf.org