At least two thousand people waited patiently on the long line outside Cipriani 55 last Thursday and showed an outpouring of support for the victims of last week's deadly earthquake in Abruzzo. The impromptu fundraiser was organized in only three days; a testament to the closeness of the Italian-American community and the strong bond between New York and Italy.
[Photo: Fulvio Minichini]
Cipriani's grand ballroom went from empty to jam-packed within the first hour of the event. The crowd, the majority of whom were Italians and Italian-Americans were treated to legendary Cipriani Bellinis and passed hors d'oeuvres included small caprese skewers and tuna carpacio and fried zucchini chips. A silent auction raised even more money for the victims, with a Vespa, a Knicks jersey donated by Danilo Gallinari, and luxury Ferrari merchandise on the block.
A moment of silence towards the middle of the event sombered the room and reminded us all of our reason for attending.
[Photo: Fulvio Minichini]
The group responsible for the fundraiser is Commissione Giovani, a branch of the COM.IT.ES non-profit organization sponsored by the Italian government whose goal is to sustain Italian culture and provide a network for young Italians living abroad. In a statement they released at the event, the group said, "The L'Aquila Relief Effort Fundraiser is the most important and challenging event that we have organized. Now more than ever it is the time for us to unite as an Italian community in an effort to show support for our people."
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