Portland has a rich Italian heritage, beginning with the early immigrants of the late 1880’s. In 1954, two men from the Italian Businessmen’s Club, Carl Sposito and Santo Porco, started a banquet to honor that Italian heritage
Every year after, the event continued to grow in size until 1992, when a record 1,200 guests attended the banquet to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ journey to the Americas.
This year, over 160 guests attended the 60th Annual Columbus Day Dinner and Dance at the elegant Portland Golf Club.
In the early years, the IBC sponsored the banquet. As time went by members of other local Italian clubs joined the committee. In 2008, the Columbus Day Association came under the umbrella of the Festa Italiana Association. Current committee chair, Theresa Rossetto Berney and her seven-member committee spent months planning the details, and collecting sponsorships and donations to fund this year’s event.
“I am thankful to be a part of a group that cares so much and is willing to go the extra mile to make this happen.” Theresa said. “I remember tagging along to committee meetings with my aunt as a teenager. My family has been attending the event for as long as I can remember.”
The night began with cocktails and socializing, serenaded by Jerry LaRocca on the piano. Life-long friends shared stories of the old days and toasted those lost over the years. Families and clubs took up whole tables.
The guest speaker for the evening was Christina Bonaduce Friedhoff, President of St. Mary’s Academy. Her recollections of growing up in an Italian family were often hilarious and always touching, and brought laughter and applause from the audience.
Following the dinner hour and drawings for door prizes, the band Sand Point took the floor to get everyone up and dancing. As the evening progressed there were more door prizes, more dancing and always more reminiscing. Photographer Dorcas Herr wove in and out of the crowd capturing every moment and enjoying a bit of dancing herself.
“I’m not sure if the original committee envisioned the event going strong 60 years later,” Theresa said later. “But I believe it is a testament to our pride, love and commitment to all things Italian that we are still gathering together to eat, drink, dance and celebrate. It is also a good opportunity to remember and honor those who came before us and still inspire us today. I sincerely hope that this tradition will grow and flourish.”
Theresa is already thinking about next year’s event. “My Italian heritage is so important to me because of the strong emphasis on family, friends, generosity, hard work, and just a beautiful joy and passion for life. I am so proud to have been raised in an Italian family in which those values are practiced daily.”
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