THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!  Christmas In October was a huge success once again and I am excited to announce that we made more money than we did last year – way to go ladies!  We want to thank the Italian American Cultural Center for your hospitality and Pat Civitate for all your help.  I want to thank  the 16 ladies that helped us make cookies.  A special thanks to the 25 SIAA ladies who helped us out all day and all who brought baked goods for us to sell.  We want to give special thanks to the ladies who kept the kitchen going smoothly!  We served 176 lunches which is 35 more than last year.  We estimated 500 people came out to support the SIAA and the Des Moines Register even came out and took pictures of all the excitement.  We would like to thank our donors who made our pasta lunch great:  Tumea & Son’s restaurant, Graziano’s (Frances), Loffredo’s, Rock Power Pizza, Hy-Vee on Army Post & Fleur Drive, Marzetti Pasta’s & Wine Merchants (Francie Anania)  A special thanks to Kari Tumea & Lisa Cruchelow – they have been working on this event since July.  If we missed anyone I am sorry and we thank you as well. 

Lisa Vivone Cruchelow, SIAA President

The Society of Italian Americans Auxiliary will hold its 4th annual Christmas in October fundraiser on October 24th at the at the Italian American Cultural Center from 10am-2pm.    There will be 23 vendors in attendance for those who want to get an early start on their Christmas shopping.    Italian dancers will perform at 10:30am.  A pasta lunch will be served from 11am-1pm.  The SIAA will also be conducting an Italian bake sale.

Tickets are $6.00 adults, $3.00 kids, 3 & under free.    Part of the proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer movement.  Wear your Race for the Cure T-shirt for special discounts.

Click here for an informational poster.

President John Tyler announces the scholarship winners at the SIA meeting on Sept 13, 2009. (Photo by Carl Loffredo)

The SIA (Society of Italian Americans) held its monthly meeting Sunday evening, September 13.  John Tyler; President, announced $1,000 scholarships had been awarded to two young women from Des Moines.
 
Becky Citarelli, daughter of Richard & Ann Citarelli is a senior at the Art Institute of Colorado in Denver.
 
Olivia Tison, daughter of Brad & Jeannie Tison and grand daughter of Pete & Gert Tursi, begins classes at St. Benedict’s in St. Joseph, Minnesota.
 
The SIA Auxiliary also contibuted towards the scholarship fund.

The Society of Italian American will be hosting a  two-day bocce ball tournament  at  “The Bocce Dome”, located behind the club’s building at 1801 SW McKinley  in Des Moines,IA.  The two-person team tournament begins on Friday, October 9th at 6:00 pm and continues on Saturday, October 10th from 1:00 pm until finished.  The entry fee is $60 per team.  Everyone is eligible to play.  Prizes will be offered, as well as food and drink.  The TV will be on in the club’s hall for watching the football games.  Call  515-285-5706  or  491-4634 for more information.

The 2009 Festa Italiana was a great success.  Here were some of the highlights:

Queen Contest: 

2009 Festa Italiana Queen Chelsea Ceretti

Queen:  Chelsea Ceretti
1st Runner-up: Elizabeth Bevilacqua
2nd Runner-up: Christine Brewer

Pasta Eating Contest:

Pasta Eating Contest

Pasta Eating Contest Winners

Pasta Eating Contest Results:
Winner: Johnny Mascaro
Second place:    DJ Camps
Third place:    Nick Hoffman

 
Best Sauce Contest:

Judges sample the Best Sauce Contest entries

Winners of the Best Sauce Contest

Best Sauce Contest results:
Winner” Lou Ann Lemmo
Second Place: Doug Gruver
Third Place: Tony Lemmo

 
Pizza Eating Contest:

Pizza Eating Contest

Pizza Eating Contest Winners

Pizza Eating Contest Results:
Winner Frank Funaro
Second Place: Joey Cardamon
Third Place: Collin Schiltz

Italian Folk Dancing:

Ragazzi (children) dancers of Gruppo Il Trattenimento Italian perform

Adult dancers of Gruppo Il Trattgenimento choose partners from the audience to dance the Tarantella Napolitana.

 
Entertainment:

Aaron Caruso serenades a young audience member.

Gina Severino Gedler performs.

Other Photos:

A large crowd watches the bocce tournament.

SIA President John Marturello Tyler introduces his mother to the audience.

Members of the SIA selling sausage and meatball sandwiches.

For more photos from the 2009 Festa Italiana, click here.

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Welcome to the newly redesigned website of the Society of Italian-Americans of Des Moines, Iowa!  Our club has roots dating back to 1898 and we are still going strong with over 240 members and a very active auxiliary of over 140 members.   The purpose of our society can best be described as it was in the Des Moines  Italian-American newspaper almost 80 years ago:

“Some thirty-two years ago, a Sunday in April to be exact, a group of Italian men gathered together at one of the homes to discuss the possibility of organizing a society that would benefit both them and their families.  There were hundreds of American organizations doing benevolent and charitable work, but these Italians hesitated to join because of their difficulty with the American language.  Timidity held back those who could speak English.  It was important, then, that this mass of foreign speaking, but American thinking individuals should band together and form an organization that would serve as an outlet for the charitable impulse and at the same time create for them a social atmosphere that would make their lives in their adopted country more important, pleasant and profitable.” – The American Citizen, August 22, 1930

One hundred and eleven years later, our society now consists of not only some original Italian immigrants, but 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th-generation Italian-Americans who still band together in a social atmosphere to support each other, improve our community, and preserve our precious Italian heritage.  Through strong leadership and the continued activism of our members, we plan on being around for another 111 years.