We can do better. I heard this statement not long ago and thought to myself, yes, I can do better. I can do better with many things in my life. But I or we can also do better in making our organization better. Doing the things we enjoyed growing up, that made us feel connected and made us feel like family.
As generations pass, it seems a piece of history dies with the previous generation. Things we experienced and cherished are not that important any longer and soon are forgotten or replaced with some modern-day ritual. What was once a family tradition seems to get lost in translation. Fast forward to years from now and perhaps most Italian traditions would be lost.
This only stresses the importance of bringing family and friends together to celebrate a way of life that seems to be passing us by. By breaking bread together, we find the ties the bind us and keep us connected and close. We strengthen ties with those around us and meet our neighbors and invite them into the fold.
The Italian Association of Arizona has been known for its iconic Italian Festival held for the past six years in Scottsdale. Every year the festival has expanded and in spite of its growing pains, the association has done amazing work through its volunteers, vendors, musicians, and entertainers to make it a true Italian Cultural experience. We have taken our challenges and learned from them and have found many ways to improve on the experience and finding new ways to keep Italian culture and traditions alive.
Our next festival promises to be the biggest one yet and although we are still finalizing the details, we are excited and cannot wait for you to experience it.
But there is more…
Recently we began hosting and participating in other events. In September we were at Chase Field and presented the AZ Diamondbacks with a traditional flag from I Sbandieratori del Palio di Asti in honor of Italian Heritage Day. In October, we participated in the Italian event in Cave Creek at Harrolds in support of the Carefree/Cave Creek Italian Club. In December, we have a wine tasting event at Corrado’s in Carefree and a special basketball event with the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. In January, we will feature another wine and food experience and in February we will end with a spectacular show for a limited number of people at the Arena again. (details on all these will follow shortly)
All these events are held to bring people together, so we can cheer together while sharing stories of our lives with friends while making new ones and of course, the events help our organization financially. These events are one of the ways we raise funds to keep the organization moving forward so we can ultimately create the dream that brought its founders together; to build a place where the Italian Culture and traditions can live on for generations to come. We will share more on this and hope to unveil more information at the upcoming Italian Festival.
Italians in Arizona are spread far and wide and it is a challenge to find ways to bring us all together. We need your help and your support. We cannot do this alone and events are one way to rekindle these friendships.
Support our events by attending and invite family and friends to attend as well.
You can also join our organization for a small annual fee and help us grow and to keep the traditions and culture alive, so we can share these with all of our neighbors here in Arizona and those that visit for generations to come.
We all have so much to contribute to each other’s lives just by being present. Let’s break bread together and bring some old-fashioned Italian cheer into our lives as we head into the Holiday season.
Join us at an event and we look forward to meeting you personally and sharing our stories …
Here is a list of events coming up with dates and links to purchase tickets:
Wine Tasting at Corrado’s Cucina Italiana
Tuesday, Dec 10th, 2019
https://italianassociationaz.square.site/
This includes a tasting of 5 wines
Plus, pre-selected menu
The details available via the link
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Phoenix Suns Wine Tasting & Appetizers
Wednesday, Dec 11th, 2019
Only 16 seats available for this event
$89.00 per person, includes VIP parking, Appetizers, and Wine
Email frank@italianassociation.org for reservations