Order Sons of Italy, Garibaldi Lodge held its
27th Annual Gala Dinner on Saturday, March 16, 2013 in the main floor Ball Room at the Winnipeg Convention Centre.
Presented by
RBC, this acclaimed event not only demonstratee the philanthropic spirit of Sons of Italy, but also the caring and giving that Winnipeggers, their businesses and leaders are known for.
It's All About Giving
With advancement in technology and research, there soon may come a time when you won't need an organ transplant. Scientists in Italy are currently working on a technique where stem cells of a patient can be used to form the damaged organ part.
A team of scientists led by Dr Paolo Di Nardo, director, BioLink Institute Research Centre, Italy has already tested the technique on a mouse's heart with positive results.
And now this leading edge team, has created a joint venture with Saint Boniface Hospital Research Foundation to build a joint laboratory here in Winnipeg to do testing on this ground breaking research.
Your support of the 27th Annual Sons of Italy Gala Dinner helped us donate $100,000 to this team. It will help establish
the
Canada Italy Tissue Engineering Laboratory (CITEL), a unique collaboration between the University of Roma Tor Vergata in Rome, Italy, and St-Boniface Hospital, with the creation of a shared laboratory at St-Boniface Hospital Research. This type of collaboration between two outstanding institutions in Canada and Italy has never been done before in Winnipeg.
UPDATE: St-Boniface Hospital has named the laboratory that the CITEL research will take place in, the Sons of Italy Garibaldi Lodge Laboratory. (more...)
Thanks to our Sponsors
We cannot put on an event like this without the support of many. We specifically wish to thank our many sponsors, many who have supported us and our selected charities for many years.
A very large thank you to
RBC our title sponsor -- for the second year in a row! The recognize the fantastic contribution to the community that results from this gala, and wanted to again be part of it.
Please check out our full
list of sponsors, and support them too, as they have supported us.
Entertainer, Steve Lippia
Again we brought in a Las Vegas style entertainer for our Gala, and it was fantastic (see photo at right) to have Steve Lippia back.
Steve Lippia has become one of the most prominent, in-demand vocalists and has quickly established his place among the finest interpreters of “standards” and traditional pop music in North America. Steve’s youthful, energetic talent and powerful show creates a perfect blend of “classic” with “today.”
Early in his performance last year, Steve invited everyone up to the dance floor, and it filled immediately and stayed full until his last song.
Steve Sigmund, who is Mr. Lippia's Musical Director and trombonist, also performing at the Gala. Steve Sigmund, who toured with Ray Charles and his Orchestra for over 16 years, lead the Ron Paley Big Band as well as played trombone. Steve's extensive musical experience includes performing with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, Gladys Knight, Tito Puente, Quincy Jones, Willie Nelson and many others.
Ron Paley's Big Band Sound
Ron Paley will brought his 16 piece band t
o back up singer Steve Lippia. Once the 75 minute show was done, the Ron Paley Big Band keep the dance floor full, performing a variety of classics and pop numbers. Supplementing the rich sound of the band, Ron featured a few amazing singers that keep everyone dancing.
Pianist, electric bassist, and composer, Ron Paley formed the Ron Paley Big Band in 1976 after playing with the big bands of Buddy Rich and Woody Herman, with whom he recorded two CD’s and played on a Frank Sinatra album. He has recorded two big band albums and one trio album.
