During his years as Chairman, Vice Chairman and a NIAF Board Member, Dr. A. Kenneth Ciongoli personified the Italian American spirit and the great contributions of Italian culture in America. His death on October 28, 2008 after a year-long battle with cancer has left a void.

To honor his memory, the NIAF Board of Directors has established the Dr. A. Kenneth Ciongoli Colloquium Endowment. The Endowment will fund and host panel discussions and debates on a variety of topics at eight Ivy League colleges and other select universities throughout the United States. This important program will examine the global contributions of Western civilization in addition to our culture, heritage and history.

For more information or to donate to the Dr. A. Kenneth Ciongoli Colloquium Endowment, click here.

NIAF Queen Mary cruise offers special booking discount

Back by popular demand, NIAF is proud to offer a 13-day cruise through the Caribbean aboard Cunard Line?s QUEEN MARY 2. This spectacular trip featuring a variety of NIAF functions departs New York on November 17, 2009 and is a wonderful way to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday!

Once again NIAF has arranged for a special group rate available only to our supporters. During your 13-day vacation you will visit the exciting cities of: Cristobal, Panama; Willemstad, Curacao; St. George?s, Grenada; Bridgetown, Barbados; Basserterre, St. Kitts; and Road Town, Tortola.

If you book your reservation during the week of November 17, 2008, you will receive a special bonus of a $250 shipboard credit for an outside stateroom or a $125 shipboard credit for an inside stateroom!

NIAF has arranged for Cruise Market Inc. to handle all reservations for this special trip. Please direct inquiries to Cruise Market by calling 1-800-223-1946.

NIAF is proud to announce that the Foundation will host two regional galas in Spring 2009.

The NIAF East Coast Gala will be held April 2, 2009 at the Marriott New York Marquis in Times Square. One month later, on May 2, 2009, the Foundation?s West Coast Gala will be held at The M Resort in Las Vegas. These events will pay tribute to a host of prominent Italian Americans, all while offering the unique opportunity for our members to reconnect with their heritage.

Be sure to visit NIAF?s Web site, www.niaf.org, in the coming months for more details about these exciting events.

Couldn?t attend this year?s NIAF 33rd Anniversary Convention and Gala? Then be sure to click here for pictures from the gala weekend. Highlights include appearances by Italian singing sensation Patrizio Buanne, former NFL player Vince Ferragamo, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Gina Lollobrigida, Deana Martin, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Sinatra, singing legend Jerry Vale and others.

We hope you?ll be able to join us next year at NIAF?s 34th Anniversary Gala on October 24, 2009. Visit www.niaf.org for more information in the coming months!

The search for a bone marrow donor continues for Christopher Florentino, 36, who was diagnosed with a recurrence of Mantle Cell Non-Hodgkin?s Lymphoma and needs a second bone marrow transplant for a cure.

In 1998, Florentino, a father of two from Flushing, Queens, was diagnosed with the disease. After being treated with his own cells, the cancer went into remission. In March 2008, he was diagnosed again.

The Florentinos are working to help all patients in need by conducting an online bone marrow drive. Associated tissue typing costs are covered by a fund established in Christopher?s honor.

Millions have joined the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry, but there are not enough donors to meet the needs of all patients, especially those from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The best chance of a match for Christopher is from the Italian American/European community.

To help, visit www.marrow.org, enter promotional code CFNY2008 and the cost of the kit will be paid by the above-mentioned fund. Anyone between the ages of 18 and 60, in good general health and willing to donate marrow is eligible to join.

Cast your vote for Guglielmo Marconi and other Italian Americans to ensure they are inducted into the 2008 New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian-born inventor who won the Nobel Prize for his ?contribution to the development of wireless technology? and did pioneering work in New Jersey. Marconi is one of six nominees in the ?Enterprise? category for the 2008 New Jersey Hall of Fame.

To vote, visit www.NJHallofFame.org and: 1) cast your vote in all five categories, 2) give special consideration to Guglielmo Marconi in the ?Enterprise? category and 3) forward this request to your friends.

Other Italian Americans on the ballot include Jon Bon Jovi (Arts & Entertainment); Lou Costello (Arts & Entertainment); and Phil Rizzuto (Sports). The voting closes November 30, 2008.

For more information, contact NIAF Director of Education and Culture Serena Cantoni at serena@niaf.org.