Hollister
– The Italian-Catholic Federation is inviting county families to
attend its third annual Italian Festa Benefit Saturday to raise
money for charities and enjoy food, music and games.
Hollister – The Italian-Catholic Federation is inviting county families to attend its third annual Italian Festa Benefit Saturday to raise money for charities and enjoy food, music and games.
Richard Puccinelli, president of the committee for the festa, said the festa is a family event and fundraiser.
“We’re all separated in so many things,” Puccinelli said. “It’s nice to bring the community back together.”
Puccinelli added that the festa is a good way for Italians to keep in touch with their heritage.
The event will be from 10:30am to 6pm at Casa de Fruta. Tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for children ages 5-12.
Money raised will go to the Italian-Catholic Federation, which in turn gives money to scholarships and other charities, mainly a charity for Cooley’s Anemia, a genetic blood disorder, said Rosalie Campisi, a festa committee member.
Food, including pasta with sauce, pasta with pesto, homemade ravioli, italian sausage, chicken wings, meatballs, salad and homemade cannoli, will be served from noon to 2pm, Campisi said.
The Brigantinos will be helping with food, said Jim Friebel, a former Italian-Catholic Federation president and festa committee member.
Campisi has been involved with the Italian-Catholic Federation since the 1950s. She expects about 300 people to attend.
“It’s bigger every year.”
Formerly called A Night in Italy, the dinner event was changed to the Italian Festa Benefit three years ago, Campisi said.
“It was a lot of work, and I said I didn’t want to do it anymore,” Campisi said. “But when they started the festa, I said I would help out with that. And of course, it’s turned out to be more work than the Night in Italy.”
She’s going to prepare the hors d’oeuvres and the cannoli filling.
The festa will also include games, such as bocce ball and a salami throw.
As for music, tenor Pasquale Esposito will be performing, followed by a three-piece band, Friebel said.
“There’s music all day,” he said.
Staff writer Anthony Ha contributed to this report.
