A Year-End Message from
President and CEO Marco DeVuono
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As 2024 comes to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on some of the highlights from the past year. There were many memorable moments that I am proud to share with you, our
Villa Charities family. I also want to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support. Your loyalty and trust in Villa Charities have been the cornerstone of our success, and we are truly appreciative. | |
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Villa Charities Italian Canadian Immigrant Tribute
The Villa Charities Italian Canadian Immigrant Tribute installation was officially unveiled on November 13, 2024, to a crowd of over 500. The ceremony formally opened the commemorative wall of name plaques and a bronze-casted sculpture to honour Italian Canadian immigrants and their families. If you haven’t become a Tribute Project donor yet, there’s still time to honour your own family’s Italian immigration journey by purchasing a customized name plaque. Remember, for each plaque purchase, a tax receipt will be issued for the maximum allowable amount and a payment installment plan is also available.
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Cultural Events and Programs
The year began with announcement of the three talented winners of our inaugural Young Artist Grant, a biennial national grant program established to support young Italian Canadian artists in their creative endeavours in the fields of fictional literature, music and film.
Throughout the year, Villa Charities presented over 120 cultural programs, celebrating Italian art, culture, language, music, history, film, literature, and community festivals. Highlights included concerts with acclaimed performers and groups such as New Phoenix Ensemble, Coro San Marco, and Columbus Concert Band.
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Specially themed music series featuring jazz ensembles and opera, including the return of “Opera è Vita,” were popular with our patrons. Jazz concerts featured performances by Hilario Durán with Adys Rodriguez, Adrian Galante Trio, and Daniel Barnes Quartet. We also hosted events highlighting regional music and dance traditions, such as Festa Popolaire, and The Music, Dance & Instruments of the Salento with Kalàscima and Andrea Ramolo. Our book launches included “The Great Pause: The Power of Pause and Perseverance,” “The Dad Who Cried Calcio,” “Echoes of Growing Up Italian,” and “Canadian Plays of Italian Heritage.” The “Back to the ‘80s” Dance Party in April was particularly memorable. | |
With approximately $50,000 in funding support from the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors program and in partnership with our affiliate organization, Italian Canadian Benevolent Seniors Apartment Corporation, we hosted a variety of programs and events for seniors. These included free weekly Ballo Liscio social dancing nights, the Summer Solstice Festa in July, the Ferragosto Celebration in August, and other traditional Italian festas featuring sausage-making, tomato-sauce making, roasted chestnuts, and a wine-making demonstration | |
In June, we celebrated Italian Heritage Month with a range of programs, including the photography exhibition and book launch of “Bedda Sicilia Terra di ’Ncantu: A Photographic Journey” by Marcello Tarantino and “Unveiling the Queer Italian-Canadian Experience” exhibition by Vincenzo Pietropaolo & Liana Cusmano. | |
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Music concerts included Michael Occhipinti’s Sicilian Jazz Project with Laura Campisi and “Aria Delights” offered a delightful evening of classical music arias performed by the soprano singers of ArsMusica, Canada’s BIPOC Ethnocultural Music and Opera Company. | |
Villa Charities was proud to participate as an Ontario hub for Culture Days, the annual national celebration of arts, culture, and creativity, from September 20 to October 12, 2024. Culture Days at Villa Charities’ multidisciplinary programs invited the public to engage with and take part in a broad range of hands-on and behind-the-scenes activities. | |
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The holiday season was marked by a festive Christmas market, an Italian Christmas Baking Contest, and joyful music concerts by Coro San Marco and Columbus Concert Band. | |
At the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, the works of premier visual artists were on display throughout the year. Art exhibitions included the return of “Youth, Truth and Imagination: A Tapestry of Diversity, Empowerment, and Creative Visionˮour annual collective exhibition that weaves a captivating narrative inspired by the lives of our diverse artists and Frank Deleo’s impactful photography in “Homecoming”. In the fall we premiered “La Superficie Introvabile” / “The Unfindable Surface,” which celebrated the 2024 edition of Italian Contemporary Art Day by featuring the works of Anna Romanello and Mario Martinelli, two artists who explore symbols, history, and the passage of time. | |
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Child Care
Columbus Early Learning Centres continued to offer high-quality child care at our Casa Del Zotto and Centro Abruzzo centres, along with our Before and After-School programs at St. Raphael, St. Charles and Regina Mundi. We expanded our St. Charles and St. Raphael programs with the opening of third rooms in each location. The ongoing Canada Wide Early Learning Child Care (CWELCC) funding was made available to families with children under the age of six years in all our programs.
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Columbus Event Centre
Numerous weddings, social and corporate events were booked at the Columbus Centre throughout 2024, welcoming thousands of guests to our venue to celebrate their special occasions.
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Columbus Centre
The Columbus Centre welcomed patrons of all ages who participated in our many classes and workshops including art, music, dance, camps and athletics.
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DanzArts Toronto, the Columbus Centre’s highly regarded school of dance, had another successful season offering Recreational and Competitive dance programs for students ranging from beginner level to pre-professional. DanzArts Toronto’s Intermediate and Advanced Competitive dancers took centre stage at BMO Field, entertaining the spectators with a special performance at the Toronto Argonauts vs. Montreal Alouettes on Saturday, September 28. | |
The Columbus Centre School of Music welcomed returning and new students, as did our Art Programs, which included our popular Artista Painting Workshops and our Less Defined Landscape Workshops, taught by professional artist and multi-award recipient Sam Paonessa. | |
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Summer Camp at the Columbus Centre returned in 2024 with camps for kids ages 4 to 13. Hundreds of young campers enjoyed our general and specialty camp high-quality programming in an inclusive and inspiring environment. New this year, extended care hours were available at no additional charge before and after camp for all campers in Full Day programs. | |
The Columbus Centre Athletic Club grew their memberships and saw increased participation in their Premium Fitness Programs, Personal Training, and Aquatics. The Tennis program had a successful season with the highest number of members to date. A new offering was the exclusive Wellness Workshop with yoga and mindfulness expert Seth Mohan. | |
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Villa Charities Foundation
In February, the GTA’s Italian Canadian community came together to honour Toronto entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Villa Charities Foundation Board member Toni Varone, in commemoration of his appointment to the Senate of Canada. The event, held at the Montecassino Hotel and Event Centre, was co-hosted by CIBPA Toronto, ICCO Canada, and Villa Charities Inc.
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We were thrilled to honour two valued Villa Charities donors at recognition events. In March, we hosted a recognition event for Anthony Fusco Sr. and the Fusco family, unveiling the newly redesigned Columbus Centre boardroom as the Anthony Fusco Sr. Conference Room and renaming the courtyard in his honour. In August, we recognized the Primucci family’s 26 years of support with the unveiling of the future “Primucci Family Centre” at Villa Colombo Toronto, along with new furniture and resident beds funded by their contributions. | |
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On October 25, 2024, we proudly hosted the 2024 Heart & Hand Awards, recognizing and celebrating the volunteers and partners for their dedication to Villa Charities. Over 320 guests attended this fundraising event, where we presented awards to 13 volunteer and corporate partner recipients. Villa Charities Founding Member Mr. Anthony Fusco Sr. was also recognized with the inaugural Villa Charities Heart & Hand Outstanding Volunteer Award. The event raised over $485,350, which included a generous donation that evening of $250,000 from Anthony Fusco Sr. and the Fusco family.
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Partnerships
Villa Charities continued to support and work with other organizations and events. In 2024, this included sponsorships and event partnerships such as the “Italy at Home” Film Festival on TLN TV, “Cinema Sotto le Stelle” outdoor summer movie series with Caffe Cinquecento, and our co-presentation of the film “A Small Southern Enterprise" at the 13th edition of the Italian Contemporary Film Festival.
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We also co-hosted a Farm to Table Dinner with Slow Food Toronto and Ristorante Boccaccio and collaborated on events like the annual Carnevale celebration with Leonardo Da Vinci Academy and Accademia dei Ragazzi, the 6th edition of Librissimi – Toronto Italian Book Festival with Comites Toronto, and Mississauga Italfest. Additionally, we held the annual on-site public ceremony to honour the Italian Fallen Workers at the Memorial Wall on our campus. | |
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Facility Upgrades
In 2024, a number of renovations took place. In June, the Main Boardroom at the Columbus Centre was renovated and renamed the Anthony Fusco Sr. Conference Room. July saw repairs to the asphalt walkways and damaged catch basins in the campus parking lot. In the fall, the Caboto Terrace lobby and first-floor corridor underwent a complete renovation.
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Independent Seniors’ Apartments
With $25,000 in funding from the Government of Ontario’s Senior Community Grant, we offered programming designed to enhance the physical and social well-being of our senior residents, including Gentle Fitness Classes, Bingo and Tombolo Nights, and social dancing events. Seniors also enjoyed activities such as Seniors Day, Resident Appreciation events, and holiday parties.
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Other Highlights
Villa Charities was certified by Great Place To Work® for the second year in a row, with 87% of our employees rating us as a great place to work. We were also named one of the 2024 Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back.
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On a personal note, I was honoured to be the recipient of the 2024 Community Building Award, presented by the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario Canada (ICCO Canada) at their Business Excellence Awards earlier this year. It was a truly memorable evening, and I am incredibly grateful for this prestigious recognition as a leader in the Italian Canadian business community. | |
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Looking Ahead
As we approach the new year, we are excited about the opportunities that will allow us to further enrich lives through experiences and services that honour Italian culture and heritage. Villa Charities is proud to bring Italian culture to you in so many ways. I encourage our wonderfully diverse and engaged community to join us at the Villa Charities campus to take advantage of our many offerings in 2025.
A huge thank you to Joseph Arcuri, VCI Board Chair, as well as Mary Pompili, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, and Giulio Recchioni, Executive Director, Cultural Programming on the VCI Executive team for their leadership and partnership. Thanks also to our incredible staff, management, Boards, residents, patrons, tenants, and everyone who supports Villa Charities.
I wish you all the best this holiday season and a prosperous and successful new year!
Sincerely,
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Marco DeVuono
President and CEO
Villa Charities Inc.
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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.
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901 Lawrence Ave W, Toronto, ON, M6A 1C3 I About Us
Villa Charities Foundation Charitable Registration Number: 89337 0767 RR001
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