As 2025 comes to a close, I am honoured to reflect on a year filled with meaningful milestones, vibrant cultural celebrations, and continued growth across all areas of Villa Charities. Our organization remains deeply committed to preserving and promoting Italian heritage while serving the diverse needs of our community. This year, we welcomed thousands of guests, patrons, residents, and families to our campus and programs, and I am proud to share some of the highlights that made 2025 truly memorable.

Villa Charities Italian Canadian Immigrant Tribute

One of the most significant events of the year was the Blessing of the Villa Charities Italian Canadian Immigrant Tribute installation by His Eminence Frank Cardinal Leo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto on June 26, 2025. This historic occasion drew over 600 attendees and received extensive media coverage, underscoring the importance of honouring the legacy of Italian Canadian immigrants and their families. The commemorative wall continues to grow, with new name plaques added throughout the year, each representing a unique story of courage, sacrifice, and contribution to Canadian society.

Special Olympics Team Canada Send-Off

On March 4, Villa Charities and the Italian community hosted a spirited send-off for Special Olympics Team Canada at the Columbus Centre, ahead of the World Winter Games in Turin, Italy. Co-hosted by TSN’s Marissa Roberto and Luca Celebre, the event welcomed 400 participants and featured the arrival of the Flame of Hope™ and a parade of athletes, coaches and staff.

Leonardo Da Vinci Academy Joins VCI

In October, Villa Charities welcomed Leonardo Da Vinci Academy (LDVA) as an affiliate. While LDVA has been a valued tenant on the Villa Charities campus since 2020, its full integration within our group of organizations strengthens the Villa Charities brand and strategically expands our multigenerational offerings to include a premier academic institution.As part of this partnership, the LDVA Playground Improvement Project was completed, featuring the construction of a new basketball court at the south end of the playground.

Villa Charities Recognized at Queen’s Park

On November 18, I had the privilege of joining our Board Chair, Joseph Arcuri; Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Mary Pompili; and members of the Villa Charities team for a visit to Queen’s Park, where we met with the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario. We were invited by Michelle Cooper, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance and MPP for Eglinton–Lawrence and had the opportunity to sit in the gallery during the House Session where she spoke about Villa Charities, the Columbus Centre, and our role as a pillar of the Italian Canadian community for over 50 years.

Cultural Events and Programs

Our cultural programming thrived in 2025, with over 110 events celebrating Italian music, art, literature, film, food, and traditions. Presentation highlights included a cultural lecture by Dr. Kenneth Bartlett (“Guide to the Essential Italy”), book launch by author Marlene Giuliano (“The Devil in His Big Blue Eyes”) and inspirational stories to ‘Accelerate Action’ on International Women’s Day.

Musical tributes brought icons to life, from Bruno Nesci’s Elvis performance to “Jump, Jive & Wail: A Tribute to Louis Prima” and “The Voice: A Tribute to Frank Sinatra” with John Alcorn and The Daniel Barnes Trio. Annual concerts by Coro San Marco and the Columbus Concert Band continued to delight, alongside regional showcases like Three Hundred Years of Neapolitan Songs and Festa delle Ciambelle.

Food and culture came together in our sold-out Taste of Italy dinners and pasta-making classes. Italian Heritage Month highlights included the exhibition “Italia & Canada: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow,” the documentary “The Casorsos: La Prima Famiglia,” and the opera concert "Il Canto Italiano" with Sara Papini and Romulo Delgado.

Community festas were joyful celebrations of tradition, with sausage-making, tomato-sauce prep, wine tasting, and seasonal gatherings like Speducci Summer Festa and Ferragosto.

Villa Charities proudly served as an Official Festival Hub for Ontario Culture Days, offering free arts programming and hands-on activities.

Fall highlights included a sold-out evening with Bastianich discussing her latest cookbook “Lidia’s The Art of Pasta.” December wrapped up with an Italian baking contest, joyful concerts and a festive holiday market and Christmas tree lighting.

We launched the second edition of the Young Artist Grant in support of emerging talent in literature, music, and film. The 2025 program will distribute a total of $15,000.00 to three creative projects in development by young artists between 18 and 30 years of age. Recipients will be announced in early 2026.

Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery

The Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery continued to present compelling exhibitions that celebrated Italian heritage and contemporary creativity. Highlights included “ORIGIN – Paintings of Scale and Ambition,” a 10-week showcase of large-scale works, and “Past Present Future: L’Arte che Scompare / The Disappearing Arts” by Canadian artist Cindi Emond, a four-part series exploring endangered cultural traditions in Italy.

The group exhibition “Carnival: The Spirit and the Soul” featured nearly 200 pieces — including masks, theatrical works, and contemporary art — examining Carnival as a space for transformation, resistance, and cultural expression. “On New Ground: Giuseppe Mercurio Toronto Retrospective” celebrated the legacy of Mercurio, a key figure in the Italian artistic diaspora in Canada post–World War II.

Child Care

In January, the new Regina Mundi Child Care Centre opened. At this new location we are now providing child care to approximately 130 children, ranging from infants school-age. In the spring, the Casa Del Zotto Child Care Centre reopened with Toddler and Preschool rooms, with the addition of an Infant room planned for 2026.

Columbus Event Centre

The Columbus Event Centre remained a popular venue for weddings, corporate functions, and social gatherings, welcoming thousands of guests throughout the year. Our team delivered exceptional service and memorable experiences for every occasion.

Columbus Centre

The Columbus Centre continued to be a vibrant hub for arts, athletics, and education. DanzArts Toronto had another successful season for both their Recreational and Competitive dance programs, and our School of Music and Art Programs welcomed new and returning students. Summer Camp returned with hundreds of children enjoying inclusive programming and extended care at no additional cost, new for the 2025 season.

The Athletic Club saw record participation in fitness, aquatics, tennis and pickleball programs, and personal training. The gym celebrated its remarkable members aged 90 and above with a small gathering to honour the inaugural members of the '90+ Club.’ Facility upgrades included the addition of two new cold plunges for the Men’s Health Club, and the partial renovation of the Women’s Health Club with installation of new vinyl flooring, a full renovation of the shower and dry sauna and partial renovation of the washrooms.

Villa Charities Foundation

Villa Charities Foundation had a banner year in 2025, with their programs and events.

Through the Villa Charities Italian Canadian Immigrant Tribute project, the Foundation continued to honour and celebrate Italian Canadian immigrants and their contributions, while supporting Villa Charities’ programs and services. Contests this past year offered existing and new Tribute project donors the chance to win an F1^® Canadian Grand Prix Package and round-trip flights to Italy.

Villa Charities’ 18^th Annual Giro Cycling Fundraiser presented by LiUNA OPDC was a great success with 185 registered participants taking part in the event and raising over $124,000. Villa Charities Foundation was also proud to be the beneficiary of the 7^th Annual Maranello BMW Golf Open in June 2025. Their generous contribution directly supported three of the Villa Charities Graduate student scholarships.

The sixth year of the Villa Charities Scholarship Program received an overwhelming response, with more than 600 applications submitted. In 2025, $35,000 was awarded to 20 students from across Canada, bringing the total since 2020 to more than $287,000 in scholarship funding.

Villa Charities Next Gen Leaders Committee presented its inaugural launch event, Sicily in September, at NODO Liberty in Toronto. This lively mixer invited young Italian Canadians and community supporters to connect, socialize, and network in an atmosphere inspired by the warmth and charm of Sicily.

In November, the premier recognition event Heart & Hand Awards gathered more than 320 people at Montecassino Hotel & Event Centre to honour eight dedicated volunteers across the Villa Charities organization. The Anthony Fusco Sr. Outstanding Volunteer Award was also presented to Edward Sorbara for his remarkable dedication, advocacy, and philanthropic support of Villa Charities and its affiliates. The evening raised over $275,000 in support of Villa Charities’ programs and services.  

Partnerships

Villa Charities strengthened its cultural and community impact through meaningful partnerships in 2025. In collaboration with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto and Leonardo Da Vinci Academy, Villa Charities presented the children’s show “Casa (Home)” by La Baracca Testoni Ragazzi as part of Toronto’s WeeFestival.

As a Film+ Sponsor of ICFF 2025, Villa Charities proudly co-presented “Diabolik: Who Are You? (Chi Sei?)” with the Lavazza IncluCity Film Festival and supported Mississauga Italfest as an Amici Sponsor. We also co-hosted Cinema Sotto le Stelle with Caffè Cinquecento, an outdoor film series throughout August showcasing contemporary Italian cinema under the stars.

Additional partnerships included Carnevale with Accademia dei Ragazzi, the Librissimi Toronto Italian Book Festival with Comites Toronto, and the annual ceremony at the Italian Fallen Workers Memorial Wall in collaboration with the Italian Fallen Workers Project Committee.

Facility Upgrades

Facility upgrades continued across the Villa Charities campus in 2025. Key projects included the Columbus Centre New Lobby Door and redesigned vestibule, along with a lighting upgrade to energy-efficient LED fixtures in the campus parking lot. The VCI CCTV system was also enhanced, expanding coverage across Columbus Centre, Casa Del Zotto, Caboto Terrace, Casa Abruzzo, and the parking areas. The system upgrade included a new server, increasing camera capacity from 100 to 150 units. Casa Del Zotto received a total of $627,500 from the City of Toronto’s Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (CPCHI) Grant; $550,000 for the much-needed Elevator Modernization of the two original elevators and $77,500 to replace the garage exhaust system.

Independent Seniors’ Apartments

In 2025, numerous facility improvements and engaging activities enriched the lives of approximately 720 residents across Villa Charities’ three independent seniors’ apartment buildings. Residents celebrated seasonal events and special occasions and actively participated in campus-wide community festas. Programming highlights included movie matinees supported by the Government of Ontario, annual Resident Appreciation events, Seniors Day, and festive holiday parties. A Seniors Safety Presentation by the Toronto Police Department provided valuable safety tips and introduced residents to local community resources.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead to 2026, we are excited to launch our new three-year Strategic Plan, developed by the Strategic Planning Committee. This plan will define our priorities and reaffirm our role as a cultural leader and destination for multigenerational Italian Canadians and the broader community. Rooted in our mission—enriching lives through experiences and services that honour Italian culture and heritage—and driven by our vision—inspiring people to explore the Italian in all of us—Villa Charities continues to evolve while remaining committed to these guiding statements. I encourage everyone to visit the Villa Charities campus and take part in our many offerings in the year to come.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup next June will be a monumental global event, and the Columbus Centre is positioned to serve as a cultural epicenter and focal point for Toronto’s soccer community. We are currently planning a five-week multicultural World Cup soccer festival featuring live screenings, fan zones, and interactive experiences to celebrate this historic sports moment.

A heartfelt thank you to Joseph Arcuri, our Board Chair, and to Mary Pompili and Giulio Recchioni on the Executive Team for their leadership and partnership. To our staff, Boards, residents, patrons, tenants, and supporters—thank you for making Villa Charities a vibrant and welcoming place. I wish you all a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,

Marco DeVuono

President and CEO

Villa Charities Inc.

Our Mission:

Enriching lives through experiences and services that honour Italian culture and heritage.

Our Vision:

Inspiring people to explore the Italian in all of us.



Villa Charities Inc. | 416-789-7011 | info@villacharities.com | www.villacharities.com