SOME MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Ever since those early formative years, thousands of people have benefited
from many charitable civic works performed by UNICO National members. Countless
dollars have been raised for the victims of national and international disasters. At
the time of the latest earthquake disaster in Southern Italy, UNICO responded
donating $500,000 for the building of ten (10) community centers. Since,
it has responded nationally by helping disaster victims of hurricanes and
floods, tornadoes and earthquakes. UNICO’ latest disaster relief
effort was raising $30,000 for victims of the September 11th Twin Towers
attack.
Each year, The UNICO Foundation and The UNICO National Chapters donate approximately
$1 million to various charities.
UNICO National has established itself as the leader in providing a variety
of scholarships and awards on a national and local level offering encouragement,
satisfying needs and promoting talent. Today, Nation al and chapter
student scholarships have totaled more than two million dollars. Roughly,
one-third of all the monies raised goes to deserving and needing students
from chapter locations throughout the organization.
UNICO National has proudly developed an educational program with the intention
of establishing permanently endowed Chairs in Italian Studies in Universities
throughout the United States. To date, Chairs at the University of
Connecticut, at Seton Hall University in New Jersey and at SUNY at Stony
Brook, NY.
Concurrent with this program for funding university chairs was yet another
unique endeavor – namely, the creation of a committee to raise $300,000
to fully endow a Fellowship in Italian-American History. The first
DeDominicis Fellowship was conferred on Annette Pontilo in 1998 who is currently
conducting research on her doctoral thesis.
Culturally, UNICO National vigorously promotes the Italian language, history
and arts at all levels of education
Its awareness program has accomplished long overdue recognition of Italians
who helped shape this country’s glorious history. They include
William Paca, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Filipo Mazzei,
confidant to Thomas Jefferson.
UNICO National has earned national acclaim for its ongoing project of Mental
Health and Cooley’s anemia Grants. Hundreds of thousands of dollars
have been donated for research, educational awareness and testing.
The newest project of UNICO National is a partnership formed with the ‘V’ Foundation
for Cancer Research. UNICO National has completed its fundraising
for a second research grant and has begun fundraising efforts on its third
grant.
Athletic awards are also a part of the UNICO heritage. The Vincent
G.Lombardi Award and the D. M. Nigro Memorial Awards are presented annually
at the National Convention. The Brian Piccolo Award was established
in 1977 who as a player of four years for the Chicago Bears died of cancer
at the age of twenty-six.
All of these charitable efforts have more than met the goals and objectives
of our founder Dr. Vastola and the vision of Antonio Rizzuto. |
