News
Catania writer Valeria Pace received an Honorable Mention Certificate for her wonderful poem entered in the 2017 Phoenix Disability Committee International Competition for Writers with Disabilities.
Catania Visitors in Phoenix – March, 2016
Submitted by PSC Catania Committee Chair Alessia Mogavero
On March 31st, the Vice-President of the ‘Associazione Catania & Sister Cities’ Salvo Vazzana and his wife, Gina, landed in Phoenix, ready to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Phoenix and Catania. Their 12-day visit was filled with exciting events. They were hosted to a welcome reception and dinner at the home of Peggy and Mike Widener. They were joined by PSC Vice President Rick Gerrard, who met Salvo, in Catania in 2007.
Salvo and Gina also met with Ralph Marchetta, general manager of Talking Stick Resort Arena, at the Talking Stick Resort Arena. Ralph received a T-shirt from the ‘Corri Catania’, a charity walkathon held in Catania every May, with 30,000+ people attending. Ralph reciprocated with SUNS t-shirts and jerseys to be raffled at the ‘Corri Catania’ walkathon this year. Salvo and Gina were also elated to watch a Phoenix Suns game and a ‘Disney on Ice’ show at the Arena!
Salvo and Gina met with 2015 Youth Ambassador to Catania, Mark Morrissey. Mark presented a check for $2,500 for the Red Cross of Catania, to help fund programs for the refugees arriving to Catania through the Mediterranean Sea. Mark had raised the funds by organizing the ‘March in March’ walkathon in Phoenix.
Members of the Catania Committee took the Vazzanas to visit the Heard Museum, the MIM, Sedona, Antelope Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Bisbee, Tombstone and the cathedral of St. Xavier del Bac in Tucson. A party was organized in their honor with the entire Catania Committee in attendance!
Prior to their departure, the Vazzanas attended the Mayor’s International Gala, meeting Mayor Greg Stanton and enjoying a wonderful evening. The theme for the Gala this year was Catania. What an extraordinary coincidence!
