Sbarro Health Research Organization
First Lady Surprises At The NIAF 48th Anniversary Gala
At the gala event NIAF celebrates and honors the Italian American heritage
- Post & News
- October 18, 2023
The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) celebrated it’s 48th Anniversary amidst the attendance of 900 Italian and American guests marking its huge success on Sunday, 14th October 2023. The night was full of fun, delicious cuisine, and a genuine love for Italian heritage and culture.
One of the great highlights of the event was attendance of the First Lady. The First Lady gave a moving speech in which she conveyed her gratitude to the group and lauded the extraordinary accomplishments of Italian Americans, especially the awardees for the evening.
In a heartwarming twist, the First Lady unexpectedly extended an invitation to the President Joe Biden, who politely accepted, and spoke to the already mesmerized audience. His speech touched on the important contribution and unyielding spirit of the Italian American community, guaranteeing that people would remember this occasion for years to come.
Among those honored at the event were Veronica Berti Bocelli, CEO of Almud Music Editions and Vice-Chair of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation; Dr. Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1®; Gerry Cardinale, Founder & Managing Partner of RedBird Capital Partners; Neil Giraldo; and Sara Farnetti, PhD. As board member Professor Antonio Giordano, MD, PhD, Founder & Director of the Sbarro Health Research Organization, was among the panel who presented the awards to the honorees.
The 48th Anniversary of the National Italian American Foundation also saw the successful hosting of the medical conference “The Future is Here! Brought to you by Italian Scientists: Improving Cancer Care and Health with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning”, by Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), in collaboration with Giovan Giacomo Giordano Foundation, Temple University, and NIAF. Michele Ceccarelli, Ph.D., and Giorgio Ventre, Ph.D., received the ‘Giovan Giacomo Giordano NIAF Lifetime Achievement Award for Ethics and Creativity in Medical Research’ during the conference in recognition of their years of commitment and service.
Events like this are crucial in a world when it’s simple to forget one’s history and roots. They serve as a reminder of our origins, the challenges that our ancestors overcame, the achievements that they celebrated, and the exciting future that lies ahead.
