While New Hyde Park’s annual celebration of Italian culture last week was mostly lighthearted as usual, it paused to remember those killed by an earthquake in Italy.
Cellini Lodge’s Italian Festival at Michael J. Tully Park observed a moment of silence on each of its five days in honor of the 290 people who died in the powerful earthquake that struck central Italy the morning of Aug. 24, the day the festival started.
Cellini Lodge, a local affiliate of the Order Sons of Italy in America, also collected money to help the recovery effort in Italy, said Mark A. Ventimiglia, the festival chairman.
“Just like other things we do, this is important to us because it’s the old country to a lot of people, even if it was a couple generations ago,” Ventimiglia said.
The moment of silence followed the playing of the American and Italian national anthems at the start of each festival day from Aug. 24 to 28, he said.
After the somber moment, the more than 10,000 people who attended enjoyed the event’s usual festivities, Ventimiglia said — rides, games, live music, fireworks on Saturday night and lots of Italian food — including Cellini Lodge’s signature zeppoles.
“All of it’s incredibly well made and it’s all made with love, because it’s all made by members of the Cellini Lodge,” said North Hempstead Town Clerk Wayne Wink, who attended last Saturday.
An average of 104 volunteers, as well as some paid workers, came each day to keep the festival running, Ventimiglia said.
Fresh sangria was a new drink offering this year, he said, and attendees could listen to two bands making their Italian Festival debut — Tempo and Rewind, which includes Anthony Calabro, Cellini Lodge’s second vice president.
Cellini Lodge started the festival in 1984 to promote Italian-American culture and raise money for charity, Ventimiglia said.
Since then it’s become a “landmark event” that’s survived everything from bad weather to economic downturns, Wink said
The event benefits organizations such as Smithtown-based America’s VetDogs, which provides service dogs to disabled veterans, and others centered on Alzheimer’s disease and autism, Ventimiglia said.
Proceeds also support Cellini Lodge’s scholarship fund, which gives money to students from local high schools, he said.
“I can’t imagine the New Hyde Park community being what it is without them [Cellini Lodge],” Wink said.
The festival has been largely successful at raising Italian-Americans’ profile locally, Ventimiglia said.
Cellini Lodge also advocates teaching Italian in public schools and for public recognition of important Italian-American figures and their achievements, he said.
“We push a lot not to be denigrated,” Ventimiglia said. “We promote the positive and it’s been working.”
Reach reporter Noah Manskar by e-mail at nmanskar@theislandnow.com or by phone at 516.307.1045 x204. Also follow us on Twitter @noahmanskar and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.
