News release from the Fort Wayne Friends of Mira:
Italians living in Fort Wayne think of their families and organize an Italian bingo benefit event after violent tornado rips through the outskirts of Venice
Italian bingo benefit event to take place at Museum of Art July 31, 2015 6-9 PM(July 21, 2015) – The recently formed Friends of Mira group is hosting an Italian Bingo Event at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art on Friday July 31, 2015 from 6-9 p.m. to benefit victims of the tornado that recently destroyed historic buildings (such as Villa Fini, a XVI century Venetian villa) and homes, leaving one person dead, 72 injured and over 400 people homeless near Venice, Italy.
Irene Paxia, a native of Mira, Italy, started the group after experiencing the anguish of seeing the images of her hometown torn by the violent tornado. Irene has lived in Fort Wayne since 2005, taught Italian at IPFW Continuing Studies for several years and worked in both not-for-profit and government entities locally. She was recently appointed Executive Director of Crime Victim Care, a not-for-profit which serves immigrant and refugee families.
Irene says: “When I saw the posts on Facebook, I thought it was a bad joke. But unfortunately, it was all real. First I thought of my parents, my brother and niece. I could not reach them for hours.”
Irene decided that she could do something from Fort Wayne and within days she received the support of many friends in Fort Wayne, not only other Italians, but also other immigrants and refugees who could understand the difficulty of living away from home. Sponsors include Korte Electric and Antwerp Girl Scouts, who have been writing letters of solidarity to Girl Scouts in Mira. Individuals are donating items to be used as prizes during the Italian Bingo benefit on July 31, such as restaurant coupons, YMCA membership, handmade jewelry and knit items.
The mayor’s office in Mira recently wrote to Friends of Mira acknowledging their efforts in Fort Wayne and stated (translated): “We need donations because the aid coming from the state is not enough and is slow coming. Tourists have canceled their reservations following the disaster causing further damage to the economy. Thanks for your help.”
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All proceeds from the Fort Wayne event will directly benefit the reconstruction efforts in Mira, Italy and will be given to the local administration.
“People in Indiana are used to tornados. They know when they are coming, know the precautions to take, and are much too familiar with the damage they leave behind,” commented Irene Paxia, founder of Friends of Mira. “This is the first time a tornado like this has struck the Venice area, and people are shocked at the devastation. The job of rebuilding and getting on with their lives is daunting.”
For more information on Facebook, or email friendsofmira@yahoo.com.
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