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Geraldine Ferraro Among Those Honored
At 2007 Sons of Italy Foundation Gala
Women Leaders, Including Hillary Rodham Clinton and Madeline Albright, Among Distinguished Guests
Press
Contact: Kylie Cafiero, (202) 547-2900 kcafiero@osia.org
 WASHINGTON,
D.C. - May 25, 2007 Geraldine Ferraro was honored by the Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF) during its annual black-tie gala in Washington, D.C. on May 24 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel (1000 H St. NW).
HISTORIC PHOTO OP: The event marked an historic gathering of five women trailblazers, left to right: Madeleine Albright, the first woman secretary of state; Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the first "first lady" to serve in the Senate and run for president; Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run for national office on a major party ticket; Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the first woman Speaker of the House; and Sen. Mary Landrieu the first woman from Louisiana elected to the Senate. (photo by Max Taylor)
HONOREES: Sen. Clinton introduced Ms. Ferraro, who received the SIF's Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service.
Also honored that evening were Nicholas
Donofrio, Executive Vice President of Innovation & Technology International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. who received the 2007 SIF National Education & Leadership Award and Frank
Giordano, President, Union League of Philadelphia, who received the 2007 SIF Humanitarian Award.
For the first time in its history, the SIF honored another institution, the Rienzi
Foundation, which helps the deaf regain hearing. It received the SIF's "Making A Difference" award.
The event also introduced 12 young men and women who won NELA scholarships this year, most of whom will attend Ivy League schools. In addition to high academic achievements, students needed to demonstrate leadership abilities and be active in volunteering in their communities.
GUEST
LIST: Among the guests were other women leaders, including Congresswoman Rosa
DeLauro; Frances
Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition and a past SIF honoree; and former congresswoman Barbara
Kennelly of Connecticut.
Also present were Ambassador Giovanni
Castellaneta (Italy); AIDS researcher Anthony
Fauci; Patricia
deStacy Harrison (Corp. Public Broadcasting); Sen. Frank
Lautenberg; Congressman Bill
Pascrell; Michael
Petruzzello (Qorvis); Bill
Kelley (US News & World Report); football's Cecil
Martin; Aileen
Sirey (Nat'l Org. Italian American Women); Bruno
Sammartino (champion wrestler); and John
Sweeney (AFL-CIO), among others.
Past honorees include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin
Scalia, AIDS researchers Anthony
Fauci and Robert
Gallo, football coach Joe
Paterno, and entertainers Frank
Sinatra, Tony
Bennett, Regis
Philbin and Joe
Mantegna. Past guests include Presidents
Bill Clinton and George
Bush; Cabinet officers, and members of Congress.
PROGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS: Actor Joe Mantegna was the evening's Master of Ceremonies. Miss Virginia, Adrianna Sgarlata sang the Italian and American anthems and three professional singers from the OSIA Centennial Lodge of New York performed during the evening.
MENU: About 1,000 guests attended the 2007 NELA black tie gala. They dined on appetizers of shrimp, eggplant caviar and basil pesto tomatoes followed by filet mignon and scallops with a roasted garlic risotto and braised kale. Dessert was valhona chocolate silk mousse. The wines, Pinot Grigio and Aglianico Del Vulture, were from southern Italy, courtesy of Rienzi Wines.
Sons of Italy Foundation
The SIF is the philanthropic arm of the Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA), the nation's oldest and largest organization for people of Italian heritage. Over the years, the SIF has contributed more than $96 million to medical research, disaster relief, and scholarships. The NELA Gala proceeds help fund these philanthropic programs. This year's NELA Gala raised about $1 million with proceeds benefiting these and other SIF programs.
Contact:
Dona De Sanctis
email: sif@osia.org
phone: 202/547-2900
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