View April's Newsletter.

Our chapter received some good news about one of our members, Larry Janacaro recently received a kidney from his daughter and wishes to share that he is doing great and hasn't felt this good in 14 years. He wanted everyone to know how much he appreciated all the calls, prayers and calls that were sent.

FESTA! FESTA! FESTA! May 31st, June 1st & 2nd @ Zona Rosa...We are about six weeks out and things are looking fabulous . . .

Our Festa committee continues to work diligently to bring everything together. They have all done a excellent job and would like to personally thank each one of you for your hard work, dedication and time. No one person can do this. All that is requested from the rest of our chapter is that you come out and support the Festa and if possible, volunteer for a shift. It means a lot seeing our fellow members at the Festa and hopefully you will also feel proud knowing that we are the ONLY chapter of UNICO that puts on the Italian Festa in its entirety!

If you haven't already, there is still time for you to purchase a banner for your business, your family or to remember a loved one, and after the Festa, it is yours too keep. The price for the 2 ft x 2 ft banner is $100 - the deadline is May 10th. For more information, please contact Shellie at 816.589.3473. There will also be order forms at next weeks meeting.

Thursday, May 30th, Cascone's North is hosting the 3rd annual Festa kick-off dinner. The night will include a four-course gourmet dinner and feature 3 young, very talented female Italian American vocalists, starting at 5:50 PM (you are welcome to come earlier for drinks).

Later, the Friday night Festival headliners, The Bronx Wanderers, will be singing some “street corner do whop”. WOW! Cost-$50 per person (does not include drinks) For reservations please call Cascone’s 816-454-7977. It is a great way to kick off the weekend!

In closing, many of you have asked where we rank in nationally with our membership...I can tell you that we are currently #5:

1. Scranton - 358
2. Nutley - 142
3. Keystone - 141
4. Hackensack - 140
5. Kansas City - 128

With only a few short months remaining in my presidency, there are a few things I would still like to accomplish, getting our membership to #2 is one of them - we are only 14 great members away! I’m honored to lead this great organization which truly defines “Service above Self”.

Please continue to bring a guest as often as possible as membership is the foundation to our future success and growth. Remember, our strength comes as a group - we ALL joined UNICO for a reason - together we can continue to make a difference!

Bene a te stesso,

Michael Mange

View the March newsletter.

I want to thank everyone that came out and helped volunteer at our annual fish dinner. Also, thank you to everyone who sold tickets for us. This year’s fish fry was one of our best yet - great work by all!

We are only about 75 days away from this year's Festa, and the committee is in full force with planning of this year’s 2013, event which will once again be held at Zona Rosa, May 31st, June 1st & 2nd. Each year, we call upon our members to help in any way they can; whether it's purchasing an ad, banner, or volunteering at the event. We need your support and help to make this event another successful year.

Here is what is available:

1. Family Banners or Business Banners: 2'x2' banner recognizing a business, family name, or in memory of someone. $100 and yours to keep after the Festa. Email Shellie if you'd like to purchase a banner or download the form and mail it in.
2. Ads in the Festa Publication and banner combo: Ads starting at $49. Email Shellie for more information.
3. VIP Tables for Friday and Saturday Evening: Catered by Mike Garozzo on Friday and Mike and Charlie's on Saturday. This entertainment, at the Festa Italiana this year is an amazing lineup. Front Row Seating for Featured Entertainment, White Linen Covered Tables. Table seats 10 and comes with 5 Bottles of Wine. Reserved from 6pm to 11pm. Donation is $1,500 either night. Email Frank.

It is our belief that we need to continue to add new features year after year so this year we are adding another eating contest along with making our ‘Wine Tasting’ one that we will all be proud of. This is a long shot, but we are also looking into a UNICO celebrity dunk tank - UNICO celebrities may include, Mike Cucchiara Sr., Chuck Romano and others...stay tuned! Jerry Viviano is working his magic and has many new acts that will grace our stage:

Friday Headliner: The Bronx Wanderers: The Ultimate Tribute to Frankie Valli, The 4 Seasons and Dion.

Saturday Headliner: Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals.

Sponsorships are coming in and the Festa publication promises to be the best yet as one of our newest members, Shellie Holsted, is on a record pace.

Not to beat a dead horse, but we would like for everyone to keep top of mind is that the more corporate sponsorships we are able to secure, the less up front risk/exposure we have, so if you have any leads please pass them on to Frank or I to pursue.

In closing, I just want to say that what we do is a group effort and I’m honored to lead this organization which truly defines “Service above Self”. We may not be the largest Chapter in UNICO - currently #3, but we are a close knit group that knows how to get things done.

Bene a te stesso,
Michael Mange

View February 2013 newsletter.

I hope this finds everyone well. If you hadn't heard, the attendance for our January meeting was pretty thin - it reminded me of a few of the dinners back in 05’! Along with myself, I have heard from several folks that illness kept them home with many others out of town on business - but what I can tell you is that the meeting was conducted by three past Presidents - Jerry Fornelli, Joe Nastasi and Frank Cherrito - and from what I’ve heard, they will be receiving a few nominations come election time.

Our next fundraiser will be our annual fish fry at St. Andrew’s Catholic School. The dinner will be held the first Friday of Lent, February 15th, 2013 - please mark your calendars. By now, all members should have received tickets to sell or purchase as a donation - prices are $8 for an adult and $4 for children. A special "thank you" goes out to Jerry Viviano for donating all the food for this event, along with Phil Balano and Anthony Pace who have donated all the beverages. We would like to encourage everyone to come out and support us by bringing your family to attend and/or by lending a hand so if you can help in anyway please let Joe Nastasi know. If you’re unable to attend kindly mail a check to Mike Cucchiara, 1307 NE 86th St., KCMO 64155 for your ticket sales.

If you can believe it, Festa is a little over 4 months away and the planning is in motion. If you would like to get involved with the planning committee please let our Festa Chairman, Frank Cherrito, know. This year, Festa will once again be held at Zona Rosa, May 31st, June 1st & 2nd. Also, one thing we would like for everyone to keep in mind is that the more corporate sponsorships we are able to secure, the less up front risk/exposure we have, so if you have any leads please pass them on to Frank or I to pursue.

And in the spirit of the Festa, I wanted to include a bit of information on how to learn more about our scholarship program: completed scholarship applications must be postmarked by Friday, March 1, 2013 to be considered for selection. Please visit our UNICO website, www.unicokc.org, for additional information.

In closing, I am looking forward to all that the upcoming year holds. A few people have told me that they have the feeling this is going to be our best year yet - hopefully that feeling isn't just gas! :-)

Bene a te stesso,
Michael Mange

View the January 2013 newsletter.

Happy New Year to you and yours! I hope the holidays treated you well. Its been almost two months since our annual Christmas dinner - which we had a great turn out and was very nice. Many thanks to everyone that attended. Your support and commitment help us achieve our goals as a chapter but also allows us the opportunity to form lifetime memories and friendships!

Now back to business... as I stated in the last newsletter, we have much to be proud of in 2012, but we mustn't become complacent as there is still much more for us to achieve. If the past few years have taught us anything, it is that the foundation of our group and future success will come from membership. If we can continue to grow our membership, more doors will open and more good will be done for those who need it. I'd like to challenge each member to sign up one new member before Festa.

Our next fundraiser will be our annual fish fry at St. Andrew’s Catholic School. The dinner will be held the first Friday of Lent, February 15th, 2013 - please mark your calendars. Joe Nastasi will have a sign up sheet at next weeks meeting along with tickets for purchase - prices are $8 for an adult and $4 for children. We would like to encourage everyone to come out and support us by bringing your family to attend and/or by lending a hand.

If you can believe it, Festa is a little over 4 months away and the planning is in motion. If you would like to get involved with the planning committee please let our Festa Chairman, Frank Cherrito, know. This year, Festa will once again be held at Zona Rosa, May 31st, June 1st & 2nd. Also, one thing we would like for everyone to keep in mind is that the more corporate sponsorships we are able to secure, the less up front risk/exposure we have, so if you have any leads please pass them on to Frank or I to pursue.

And in the spirit of the Festa, I wanted to include a bit of information on how to learn more about our scholarship program: completed scholarship applications must be postmarked by Friday, March 1, 2013 to be considered for selection. Please visit our UNICO website, www.unicokc.org, for additional information.

In closing, I am looking forward to all that the upcoming year holds. A few people have told me that they have the feeling this is going to be our best year yet - hopefully that feeling isn't just gas! :-)

Bene a te stesso,

Michael Mange

View the November 2012 newsletter.

It’s hard to believe the holidays are already upon us, it seems just like last week when our esteemed Treasurer received his prestigious award at the Christmas dinner. I truly love this time of year and while it is hard to complain with the great weather we have had, it just doesn't feel as much like Christmas without the winter weather - my ideal holiday season is cold and snowy from Thanksgiving until New Years Day, then go right into Spring. So if you are like me, you will be sending those letters to Santa, wishing for a white Christmas!

I would like to take a moment to briefly recap our accomplishments in 2012;

• We had our most successful Festa to date, showcasing The Rat Pack Reprise and Louis Prima Jr.
• Nominated for the Favorite Ethnic/Heritage Festival or Event.
• Gave away a record $54,500 in scholarships.
• Gave an additional $25,000 away to several not-for-profit groups and families in need.
• Had a record turnout for our 4th annual Brew Fest.
• Held our 2nd annual Texas Hold Em’ Tournament.

And last but not least, I am happy to say we have once again finished the year with more members (130 vs. 119) then we had at this time last year!

As you know, we are giving away a $500 gift card and a $500 grocery card to 4 families again this year. To date I have received 3 so if you know someone who may qualify please submit to me a brief bio, by November 25th , why this family should receive the donation and any other helpful information. I'd like to give first consideration to any Italian families and then consider anyone thereafter. All submissions will be kept confidential and will not be shared with the chapter - the intent is to help someone who needs it and in no way want to embarrass anyone.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone at our Christmas Dinner at Cascone’s North on Wednesday, December 5th and ask that you RSVP if you haven't already. Remember your spouse or significant other is welcome to join. The cost will be $25 per member and UNICO will cover the cost for your spouse. Along with the smooth sounds of Frank Cherrito Sr., I will have copies of the long anticipated UNICO Directory to pass out and a few awards to present. So feel free to stop by for an after dinner cocktail or two and celebrate the holidays if you are unable to make dinner!

As our scholarship program gains recognition and grows each year, so does the interest and people asking for information so I wanted to include a bit that may prove helpful: completed scholarship applications must be postmarked by Friday, March 1, 2013 to be considered for selection. Please visit the UNICO website, www.unicokc.org, for more information.

In closing, let us all keep in mind that as UNICAN’s our giving is not just done during Christmas but throughout the year! I think each of us should feel proud to belong to a group that does so much. I would like to thank each of you for your continued trust and support. Without you, our success would not be possible.

Buone Vacanze!

Michael Mange

View the October 2012 newsletter.

I would like to begin with a few important items:

Don’t forget about our 2nd Annual Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament this Saturday, the 20th, at Old Pike Country Club. There are plenty of seats remaining and can be pre-purchased for $40 or $50 the night of. Doors open at 5pm. Play begins at 6:15pm. Even if you don't play poker, there will be plenty of food and drink along with a raffle, so feel free to come and enjoy the evening.

Over the past year, several folks have filled out comment cards pushing for a meeting out east...your suggestions are now a reality as next Thursday’s meeting will be at Garozzo’s in Lees Summit.
We have about 30 members still needing to pay their annual dues. Please make every effort to get those in before the end of the month so we can pay National for the correct num-ber of members. You can either bring to our meeting next Thursday or mail your check ($80) to Mike Cucchiara Sr.

Given the way holidays are falling this year, next week's meeting will be our last general meeting before our Christmas dinner which is planned for Wednesday, December 5th at Cascone’s Restaurant North. Spouses or significant others are invited - the cost will be $25 per member with UNICO covering the cost for your spouse. Once again we will have entertainment throughout the evening along with the overdue presentation of a ‘few awards’. More information to come as we get closer.

I want to thank you for your continued support of UNICO and look forward to making a few memories with you at the tournament and breaking bread with everyone next Thursday.

Tutto il mio meglio!

Michael Mange

View the September 2012 Newsletter.

Once again this month I would like to begin with a reminder to get your annual dues paid if you haven't already. Please bring to our Wednesday meeting @ Johnny C’s or mail your check ($80) to Mike Cucchiara Sr.

Preparation is underway for UNICO’s 2nc Annual Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament. The event will be held once again at Old Pike Country Club on Saturday, October 20th. Doors open at 5pm. Play begins at 6:15pm. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending as it should be another fun filled evening.

As you know, we have had a great year so far in 2012, and would like to continue our momentum by requesting the following:

• Spread the word and SELL TICKETS!!! We are selling tickets for $40 in advance/$50 at the door. Our ultimate goal is to have 200 players - if each member purchases or sells one ticket we will already have over 130 players! As UNICO will earn revenue from ticket sales, additional buy-ins, liquor/food sales and auction items - so the more players we have equals more revenue for education! I have attached a flyer you can distribute to all your contacts or print and hang. FYI, I will have tickets for sale on Wednesday.

• Sell Sponsorships! We are ready to start the registration process for our sponsors - information will be out shortly. The sponsors will receive advertising on the individual table they sponsor as well as acknowledgement on tournament solicitation. The fee of $50 will dis-play your business or families support of UNICO, or you have the option of paying $75 which includes a player with the sponsorship.

I applaud and appreciate your continued support of UNICO and look forward to visiting with you at the tournament.

Hope your week is going as you planned and I look forward to breaking bread with you next Wednesday, the 26th, at Johnny C’s!

Molte grazie!

Michael Mange

View August 2012 newsletter.

To begin, I wanted to send out a friendly reminder that if you are one of the several members with outstanding annual dues, please bring to our Thursday meeting or mail your check ($80) to Mike Cucchiara Sr.

I would like to share a story with you from a member that had informed me about a month ago he was not going to renew his membership this year. However, a couple weeks later he contacted me once again and let me know that he was in fact renewing and graciously shared what changed his mind. Someone had asked him what UNICO was, so he went to the UNICO National website (www.unico.org) and after watching the video had remembered why he joined and what UNICO does for our community. You have heard me say on many occasions, "We ALL joined UNICO for a reason", so if the answer isn't clear and you find yourself torn over renewing your membership, whether or not to invite a guest or becoming more involved, look in the mirror and ask, "Why did you join?" Remember, membership is the foundation to our future success and growth - our strength comes as a group - together we can continue to make a difference!

In case you were unable to attend our last meeting, our newly elected officers for 2012/2013 were sworn in. They are:

President – Michael Mange

• 1st Vice President – Mike Cucchiara Jr.
• 2nd Vice President – Marc Enna
• 3rd Vice President – Nic Merenda
• Secretary – Tony Conforti
• Treasurer – Mike Cucchiara
• Health & Welfare – Charlie Malaponte
• Scholarship Chairman – Dave Sullivan
• Presidential Advisor/Membership Retention-Expansion – Frank Cherrito
• Sergeant-at-Arms - Chuck "Legs" Romano.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered and made our 4th Annual Brew Fest our best one yet! Without your help we could not have pulled this off. The powers to be blessed us with another perfect day resulting in a record number of people seeing how many times they could actually fill that glass up. We received numerous compliments from vendors and participants stating that this was the best brew fest they have ever attended and can’t wait until next year!

Our next event is our 2nd annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament to be held on Saturday, October 20th at Old Pike Country Club in Gladstone, MO. If you attended last years event, you know that we had a lot of fun - some more than others - along with managing to raise a small sum of cash. Your help is needed if we are to meet our goal of at least 150 players so I would like to encourage every member to buy (and participate) and/or sell at least one ticket. If we can do this, we will already have over 130players! Also, please let me know if you would like to be a part of the organizing committee.

Hope you have a great week ahead and I look forward to seeing you next Thursday at Garozzo’s on College Blvd. in Overland Park, KS.

Molte grazie!

Michael

View July 2012 Newsletter

At our last meeting we approved the new slate of officers for 2012/2013:

• President – Michael Mange
• 1st Vice President – Mike Cucchiara Jr.
• 2nd Vice President – Marc Enna
• 3rd Vice President – Nic Merenda
• Secretary – Tony Conforti
• Treasurer – Melchior Cucchiara Sr
• Health & Welfare – Charlie Malaponte
• Scholarship Chairman – Dave Sullivan
• Presidential Advisor/Membership Retention-Expansion – Frank Cherrito
• Sergeant at Arms - Chuck Romano

All officers will be sworn in at our dinner meeting. We will also swear in any new member that has not yet been sworn in. New members please try to attend and everyone can be sworn in at once.

Our annual Microbrew Festival is quickly approaching. It will be held on August 11th at Zona Rosa from 3pm to 9pm. This will be a short event, but if history has taught us anything, it promises to be a great time! We will need many volunteers, mostly to pour beer. Joe Nastasi will have signup sheets at the meeting, and we encourage everyone to help as much as you can. The shifts will be split from 2:15pm to 6pm and 6pm to 9:45pm. If you have time to work both shifts, we can surely use the help. Tickets are still $20 in advance and $25 at the gate.

Everyone should have received their annual dues notice. Please send your payment to Mike Cucchiara or bring the payment to our meeting. The annual membership fee remains $80. If you have become a member after January 1, 2012, no money is due. I’d like to mention that from August 2011 to July 2012 we signed 25 new members to our chapter. I feel this is something to be proud of, and I encourage all members to continue to bring a guest as often as possible. Membership is the foundation to our future success and growth. Remember, our strength comes as a group - we ALL joined UNICO for a reason - together we can continue to make a difference!

Festa 2012 has been nominated by the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association as one of the four finalists for “Favorite Ethnic & Heritage Festival” in Kansas City. I encourage everyone to go online and place your vote; however you must live outside the Kansas City area for your vote to count.

I want to take this time to thank all of our members for the help and support that you have given me during my first year as President. The success of our Chapter depends on everyone! I would like to welcome our new incoming officers. You will have my trust and my support during the challenges you will face. As a group, we have had many accomplishments, but there is much more left to do. Our members will provide needed support, but in times of disagreements; you’ll need to listen the most. We are in need of new ideas and new energy that you will bring to UNICO. Have trust in knowing that over 130 members will stand behind the decisions you will make, and that these are the same members that have chosen you for our Chapters future.

Look forward to breaking bread with you next Wednesday!

Molte grazie!
Michael Mange
816.210.3897

View June 2012 Newsletter

To begin, I would like to personally convey my sincere THANKS to all the UNICANS and their wives who worked so hard to make this year's Festa such a wonderful event! Without your commitment and generosity, our event would not be what it was. Also, a very special thank you goes out to Father Rogers, for his prayers throughout the week for the outstanding weather and continued support! I would love to thank many people individually for their contributions, but just know that I will end up leaving someone out unintentionally. I do feel that our Festa committee deserves to be recognized for all their hard work. Having worked next to them throughout the year, I can tell you everyone is truly unique and I am privileged to be a part of this group.

Our esteemed Treasurer is still awaiting a couple of invoices to be mailed before he commits to the final number. However, his preliminary calculations are very positive and may end up being our best Festa yet! Since the Festa, I have had several folks tell me what a great time they had, how great the entertainment was, how organized things were, etc. Following are a couple of comments that I received and thought everyone deserved to hear:

“The show went very well! I would like to commend you on how well it was run. I've done plenty of shows, and this was definitely one of the more organized shows. Not to mention you and everyone else affiliated with UNICO was absolutely top notch and extremely friendly.”

“The crowds were great! My guests and I had such a great time Saturday night - can’t wait til next year! You and all those involved should be proud!”

Not sure if you know, but Zona Rosa has a nationally recognized car-counting system they use and thought you might be interested in the following information Rosemary Salerno (UNICO member and GM of Zona Rosa) graciously shared :

“We had a record-breaking Festa Italiana weekend. Total customer count was 105,310 (this is Friday – Sunday)
Friday – up 7.5%, Saturday – up 8.6%, Sunday – up 4.1%. This is percentage up to last year. For the whole weekend, traffic was up +7%!”

I don't want to cut the celebration of our success on the Festa short, but we must move on to new business if we are to keep our momentum going…

Our next event on the calendar is our annual Microbrew Festival which will be held on Saturday, August 11th at Zona Rosa from 3pm to 9pm. We should have more breweries committed for this year’s Brew Fest and look forward to another event with no rain. With last year’s event selling out along with our entrance in Social Media, we are looking for this year to be even better. With that said, we will need many volunteers, mostly to pour beer, in order to pull this event off. The event is split into two shifts, 2pm to 6pm and 6pm to 10pm, if you have time to work both shifts, we can surely use the help. I have heard year after year from many of those pouring, they had more fun than those participating. Our volunteer committee will be reaching out shortly for your help.

Last, we are in the process of have organized a nominating committee for our next slate of officers. I will present the proposed slate of officers for 2012/2013 at our dinner meeting - which the chapter will need to approve. All newly elected officers will be sworn in at our July meeting and will officially take office August 1st. This will be a special meeting and we invite everyone’s spouse or significant other to the July meeting when officers are sworn in.

Remember, our strength comes as a group - we ALL joined UNICO for a reason - together we can continue to make a difference!

Look forward to breaking bread with you next Wednesday!

Molte grazie!
Michael Mange
816.210.3897

View May Newsletter

GENERAL MEETING: FOR MEMBERS, SPOUSE /SIGNIFICANT OTHER.
DINNER WILL BE PROVIDED FOR YOUR SPOUSE BY UNICO.

FESTA ITALIANA 2012 IS HERE! Mark your calendars for June 1, 2, and 3rd at Zona Rosa. The Festa Com-mittee has spent over 9 months preparing for our upcoming event that affords us the opportunity to celebrate and share our rich Italian heritage. I can’t thank this year’s committee and the several others that have poured so much of their self into the preparation of the Festa, enough for all their sacrifices. It is because of selfless UNICANS like these our organization will continue be second to none.

I encourage everyone who has not yet seen this years Festa Publication to pick up a couple to read and share with others - it is that good! Many thanks to Jim Murray for his efforts in making this publication what it is today.
I wanted to mention a few great things that will be taking place this year during Festa week...

1. Thursday, May 31st, Cascone's North is hosting the 2nd annual Festa kick-off dinner event beginning at 6:30pm. The night will include a four course dinner, music, sights and songs from accomplished local Italian American Entertainers as well as contemporary Jazz recording artist Joseph Vincelli who will be performing at this year's Festa. Tickets are for sale through Cascone’s Restaurant at $50.00 a person. Don’t delay as seating is limited!
2. This year we have Liberty Mutual Insurance as one of our vendors. You may ask, 'why is this important'? This is especially important to our chapter for the reason that UNICO will get $10 for every quote (cars, home, etc.) they give at the Festa - regardless whether they get the insurance or not. So for the good of the chapter, tell everyone to stop by and get a quote!
3. The 2012 Italian Car Show "Motori in Piazza" - This will take place Sunday from 11 - 6pm, featuring ap-proximately 25 new and classic models from Mazerati, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia. Many thanks to Gino Serra for bringing the idea to fruition...I think this will be a great addition to this year's event and should help our attendance on Sunday.

I would kindly ask that every member send to all your contacts and spread the word anyway possible. Keep in mind that everything leads to the end game of HELPING THOSE IN NEED - the more people we tell, the more that attend, the more that are educated about UNICO and the good we do, the more that come out and contribute, thus allowing us to help more and more people.

WE NEED HELP! Please come out to support the Festa and volunteer for as much or as little as you can. Any amount of time that you can volunteer is appreciated. Joe Nastasi will have a signup sheet at our dinner meeting and will also be following up with phone calls. It means a lot seeing our fellow members at the Festa and hopefully you will also feel proud knowing that our chapter puts together a first class event.

Finally, because faith is the foundation of our tradition, I would like to encourage all members and their families to join us in celebrating our outdoor mass that will be held on Sunday @ 10am at Zona Rosa.

Remember, our strength comes as a group - we ALL joined UNICO for a reason - together we can continue to make a difference!

Look forward to seeing you and yours next Wednesday!

Molte grazie!
Michael Mange

I hope this finds you and your families well!

This year I had the pleasure of sitting on the scholarship committee for the first time and must admit it was an extremely rewarding experience. In all, we awarded $54,500 in scholarships to high school seniors entering college. I was touched by some of the stories I read - applications with one or two parents unemployed; some have had their hours cut at work, many with medical issues, some experiencing foreclosure and so on. I’ve come to realize, more than ever, everything our chapter does is very important to others. We may be a small group, but the lives we touch will leave an impact that will last a lifetime. These are the things that keep me motivated to take our chapter to the next level. But remember, our strength comes as a group - we joined UNICO for a reason - together we can continue to make a difference!

FESTA! FESTA! FESTA! June 1st, 2nd & 3rd @ Zona Rosa...We are a little over a month away and things are looking fabulous . . .

Our Festa committee continues to work diligently to bring everything together. They have all done a excellent job and I would like to personally thank each one of you for your hard work, dedication and time. No one person can do this. All I ask from the rest of our chapter is that you come out to support the Festa and volunteer for a two hour shift if you can. It means a lot seeing our fellow members at the Festa and hopefully you will also feel proud knowing that we are the only chapter of UNICO that puts on the Italian Festa in its entirety.

I have not forgotten about the first annual membership directory - the Festa has put this project on the back burner but I plan on having it mailed to you shortly thereafter.

Lastly, I wanted to share that I have added a section - to be found on the following page - containing members birthdays for the current and following months.

Look forward to seeing you next Thursday!

Molte grazie!
Michael Mange
816.210.3897

Fellow UNICAN’s

Many thanks to everyone that came out and volunteered at our annual fish dinner. This year was as busy as ever as our sales totaled close to $6,000!! Great work by all. A special thank you goes out to Jerry Viviano who donates a majority of the food year after year. I also want to thank Father Rogers for helping promote the event to make it a success. What we do as a group effort and I’m honored to be part this group. You guys define “Service above Self,” and know that St. Andrew’s has expressed their deep appreciation for our continued support.

The Festa committee is in full swing planning this year’s 2012 event. It is our belief that we need to continue to add new features year after year to help keep attendance up and the event fresh. Some new features we are adding this year will be; meatball eating contest (this was at the suggestion of our Festa Chairman), a raffle for VIP tables, and a car show on Sunday. Jerry Viviano is working his magic and promises this will be the best year ever for entertainment. Sponsorships are coming in and the Festa publication is looking good and ahead of schedule.

Cascone’s has once again agreed to host a dinner on Thursday, May 31st with special guest Joseph Vincelli and other entertainers scheduled to perform at the Festa. Tickets will be available through Cascone’s Restaurant at $50.00 a person. Don’t delay, as there will be limited seating!

As you know, strong membership is the backbone to any successful organization, I am happy to report that our membership continues to grow as we have added 18 new members over the past seven months. I want to thank everyone who has brought in a new member and once again encourage/challenge all members to bring in at least one new perspective member before the Festa. As I eluded to in the last newsletter, a couple of our meetings each year will be held on Thursday in the continued hopes of further expanding our membership by giving individuals that travel or have prior commitments midweek an opportunity to become a part of our great organization. With that said, please note that our April meeting at Johnny C’s will take place on Thursday the 26th.

Look forward to seeing you next Wednesday!

Molte grazie!
Michael Mange
816.210.3897

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Our next fundraiser will be our annual fish dinner at St. Andrew’s Catholic School, which will be held on Friday, February 24th - the first Friday of Lent. A special thank you goes out to Jerry Viviano for donating all the food for this event, along with Phil Balano and Anthony Pace who have donated all the beverages. We still need volunteers to help work and once again I will have a signup sheet at our next meeting. By now, all members should have received tickets to sell or purchase as a donation. If possible, please turn in your ticket sales at our February dinner meeting. If you’re unable to attend the meeting, please mail a check to Mike Cucchiara, 1307 NE 86th St., KCMO 64155 for your ticket sales.

We are gearing up for Festa 2012. If you would like to get involved with the planning committee please let our Festa Chairman, Frank Cherrito, know. The Festa will be held at Zona Rosa June 1-3rd. Also, the more corporate sponsorships we are able to secure, the less up front risk/exposure we have, so if you have any leads please pass them on to Frank or I to pursue.

Regarding our first annual membership directory; thank you to everyone who has responded and sent me their current information. As we are still planning to have the directory created and mailed to each member by the end of March, I will be sending one last email requesting updated information by February 24th from those whom have not yet responded.

Lastly, I have been receiving feedback from several individuals - members and potential members - that would like to attend and/or join but travel the majority of Wednesdays. So in the continued hopes of further expanding our membership, I am going to hold 2 - 3 of our monthly meetings on the last Thursday of the month to give these individuals the opportunity to be a part of our great organization.

Look forward to seeing you on the 15th!

Molte grazie!

Michael Mange

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Happy New Year to you and yours! I hope everyone’s holidays were all that you hoped. Its been almost two months since our annual Christmas dinner - which turned out very nice. Many thanks to everyone that attended. Your support and commitment help us form lifetime memories and friendships.

Now back to business... as I stated in the last newsletter, we have much to be proud of in 2011, but we mustn't become complacent as there is still so much more we can achieve. If the past few years have taught us anything, it is that the foundation of our group and future success will come from membership. If we can continue to grow our membership, more doors will open and more good will be done for those who need it. I'd like to set a personal goal for each member to sign up one new member before Festa. This gives us until June 1st to reach our goal.

Moving on, our next fundraiser will be our annual fish fry at St. Andrew’s Catholic School. The fish fry will be held on Friday, February 24th, 2012. As with any event, we will need volunteers to help make it a success. We ask all UNICO members to sell 10 tickets or purchase the tickets as a donation. Ticket prices are $8 for an adult and $4 for children.

We are gearing up for Festa 2012. If you would like to get involved with the planning committee please let our Festa Chairman, Frank Cherrito, know. The Festa will be held at Zona Rosa. June 1-3rd. Also, the more corporate sponsorships we are able to secure, the less up front risk/exposure we have, so if you have any leads please pass them on to Frank or I to pursue.

If you were at the X-Mas dinner, you heard me talk about putting together our first annual mem-bership directory to distribute to the members by March. I will be sending out a separate email shortly asking for a few pieces of information (thank you to those who already provided this) and would ask that you quickly respond back so we can meet our deadline.

Molte grazie!
Michael Mange

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Those who know me, know this is my favorite time of year - the X-Mas music, décor, endless holiday parties and the pure joy of being together with family and friends sharing a libation or two re-living the good times!

I consider myself a very fortunate individual who is truly blessed many times over. The time, effort and generosity from the members was a big reason why I joined this selfless organization 4 1/2 years ago. Very few people have the privilege of helping so many - kids attend college, families in need and countless others - throughout the year. It is this which inspires me to go out and strive to earn more year after year, so we are able to give more. As Unicans, the giving is not just done during Christmas, it is year round! Each of us should feel proud to belong to a group that does so much and not forget why we are here.

It’s hard to believe the holidays are upon us and another year is quickly coming to a close, let’s take a moment to remember what we have accomplished together in 2011; We donated a beautiful statue of St. Teresa to St. Andrew’s Church. We took our Festa to the next level by showcasing Deana Martin, drawing a visit from Mayor Sly James, being nominated by the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association as one of the four finalists for “Favorite Family Festival/Event” in Kansas City and giving away $52,000 in scholarships. We continued the $2,500 high school hardship scholarship. We gave an additional $25,000 away to several not-for-profit groups, families in need and other foundations. Had a record turnout for our 3rd annual Brew Fest. Successfully implemented our newest fundraiser, Texas Hold Em’ Tournament. And finally, I am happy to say we have ended the year with 119 members of UNICO Kansas City versus 106 members this time last year. I am truly looking forward to our journey together in 2012!

I hope to see everyone at the Christmas Dinner next Wednesday and ask that you RSVP if you haven't already. Remember your spouse or significant other is welcome to join. The cost will be $25 per member and UNICO will cover the cost for your spouse. Once again, we will be enjoying the smooth sounds of Frank Cherrito Sr. throughout the evening. Feel free to stop by for an after dinner cocktail or two and celebrate the holidays if you are unable to make dinner!

In closing, I would like to thank each of you for your trust and support. Without you, our success would not be possible.

Buone Vacanze!
Michael Mange

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We are about a week away from our 1st annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament which will be held Friday, November 18th at Old Pike Country Club in Gladstone, MO. Doors open at 5pm, poker play starting at 6:15pm. I am hopeful that we get a strong member turnout and would encourage you to either play or purchase a ticket and give it to someone who will. The more players we have, the bigger the payouts and the more revenue we generate for UNICO. So please do what you can to spread the word and sell tickets!!! They are $40 in advance/$50 at the door.

Our Christmas dinner is planned for Wednesday, December 7th at Cascone’s Restaurant - Drinks at 6pm, dinner at 7pm. Your spouse or significant other is welcome to join. The cost will be $25 per member and UNICO will cover the cost for your spouse. Once again, we will be enjoying the smooth sounds of Frank Cherrito Sr. throughout the evening. I hope to get a large turnout and ask that you RSVP. If you are unable to make dinner, stop by for an after dinner cocktail or two and celebrate the holidays!

During Frank’s presidency, the idea of giving to four families that could use a helping hand for Christmas was born. To me, this is what Christmas is all about and would like for the chapter to continue doing every year. As with the past couple of years, we need help finding the families so if you know someone out of work or that can use some help this Christmas, let me know. I’m asking for you to submit a brief bio of the family in need with first consideration given to any Italian fam-ily. All information will be kept confidential.

Lastly, we will be gearing up for Festa 2012 shortly after the first of the year, so if you would like to get involved with the planning committee please let our Festa Chairman, Frank Cherrito, know. The Festa will be held at Zona Rosa the first weekend in June.

A voi e la vostra,
Michael Mange

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On September 29, UNICO National mailed out the second half member dues billing/invoice to all Chapter Presidents. As our chapter still has over 20 members that have not yet renewed I wanted to once again send a reminder to please bring to our Wednesday meeting or mail your check ($80) to me at: 6922 N Hardesty Ave. Kansas City, MO. 64119. Know that we need your help and support to continue the good work that we have done and sincerely hope you renew your membership. Please send me an email if you do not plan to renew so that you may be taken off the roster.

The Bocce season is underway and the UNICO team is always looking for players and support. If you are ever available on Thursday evenings come down to Sons of Columbus and support the guys - they would appreciate it! Or as previously mentioned, if you would like to play, even one week, contact our Bocce captain, Frankie Bellucci for more details.

As you know, we are only a month away from our 1st annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament to be held Friday, November 18th at Old Pike Country Club in Gladstone, MO and are in need of your help to ensure it’s success. Following are the four areas that need full member support:

1. Spread the word and Sell Tickets!!! They are $40 in advance/$50 at the door.
2. Sell Table Sponsorships! $50 will display your business or families support of UNICO, or you have the option of paying $75 which includes a player with the sponsorship attached is a sponsorship form that can be filled out and mailed back to me.
3. We are in need of donations for the raffle. Anything from gift cards to a fruit bas- ket to a car will work just fine!
4. Volunteers needed: Needing a total of 10 - 15 to work the door, bartend and serve drinks during the hours of 5 to10pm. Please let me know if you would like to help out.

Sunday, October 2nd, Father Joe celebrated Columbus Day along with the homecoming of the C. Columbus monument which if you haven’t had a chance to see yet, I would en-courage you to take a trip to Holy Rosary - it is beautiful. Many thanks to Charlie Passantino, Joe Privitera and Frank Cherrito for making this happen. Father also included in the mass bulletin a great article about Christopher Columbus. As a few people asked Father for a copy he thought it might be good to send to the membership so I have included within the newsletter.

It seems the later in December we get, the harder it is for people to join. So in hopes that more people will be able to attend, we have scheduled our annual Christmas dinner a bit earlier this year. It will be held Wednesday, December 7th at Cascone’s restaurant. The spouses are invited and hope all can attend.

All my best,
Michael Mange

Dear UNICO member,

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This month our meeting is a week sooner than normal as I am traveling on business and didn’t want to pass my second meeting as President off so I apologize for any in-convenience this has caused. Our meeting is next Wednesday, the 21st at Johnny C’s.

As you most likely have noticed, I made a few subtle changes to the newsletter. One change that I would like to point out is the ‘upcoming meetings/events’ section below that will allow you to plan ahead and hopefully result in more members attending our monthly dinners.

As I eluded to last month, our next fundraiser will be a Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament. The event will be held Friday, November 18th at Old Pike Country Club in Gladstone, MO. I personally have not yet seen the venue, but told it is a great facility that will hold around 200 players. We are selling the tickets for $40 in advance / $50 at the door and will be shooting for at least 150 players. UNICO will earn revenue from ticket sales, additional buy-ins, liquor/food sales and auction items. I would like to encourage every member to buy (and participate) and/or sell at least one ticket. If we do this, we will already have over 125 players! Also, we are forming a organizing committee so please let me know if you would like to be a part of this.

Lastly, I would like to once again encourage each that plan on attending Wednesday’s meeting, to bring a guest to break bread with everyone and partake in a libation or two!

All my best,

Michael Mange

Dear UNICO member,

I hope that this letter finds you and your families well! Once again, I truly appreciate the confidence you’ve shown in electing me President. As many of you have probably surmised, I like to have a bit of fun every now and then, but know that I am extremely honored to serve this chapter and will do what I can to continue our growth.

To begin, our next meeting is Wednesday, August 24th at Cinzetti’s, 7201 W. 91st Street, Overland Park, KS. In continuing what Frank has done so well over the past two years, I want to encourage everyone to help UNICO Kansas City build its membership by bringing in at least one new member this year. Many of you will agree, that the strength of any successful organization is having a solid foundation – which in our case happens to be our members. If we can continue to bring in good members, we can make a positive difference in even more lives. Hope to see you next Wednesday!

On a side note, our 2010/2011 membership dues need to be turned into UNICO National for all existing members and wanted to send a friendly reminder to send in to Mike Cucchiara or bring the payment to the meeting if you have not already done so. We do need your help and support so we can continue the good work that we have done at UNICO Kansas City and sincerely hope you renew your membership. Please send me an email if you do not plan to renew.

In case you were unable to attend our last meeting, our newly elected officers for 2011/2012 were sworn in. They are:

• President – Mike Mange
• 1st Vice President – Mike Cucchiara Jr.
• 2nd Vice President – Joe Cherrito
• 3rd Vice President – Marc Enna
• Secretary – Joe Cygan
• Treasurer – Mike Cucchiara/Tom Rago
• Health & Welfare – Charlie Malaponte
• Scholarship Chairman – Dave Sullivan
• Presidential Advisor/Membership Retention-Expansion – Frank Cherrito

Thank you to everyone who volunteered and made our 3rd annual Brew Fest a success. Without your help we could not have pulled this off. The powers to be gave us a perfect day resulting in a record number of people seeing how many times they could actually fill that little glass up. Not only was it a great time, but we received numerous compliments from vendors and participants stating that this was the best brew fest they have ever attended and can’t wait until next year!

Our next fundraiser will be a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament that UNICO will be hosting. We are in the process of securing the location but plan on having the event November 19th so please mark your calendars. We have contracted with a professional company that organizes these games on a regular basis and have shown these types of events to have great income potential as UNICO will earn revenue from ticket sales, additional buy-ins, liquor/food sales and auction items. Let me know if you would like to be a part of his organizing committee.

In closing, you may have noticed that our honorable past president has a tremendous appreciation for eating so I for one listen to his infinite wisdom on this subject when he said, “Unicans who eat together, stay together”.

Michael Mange

Dear UNICO member,

For starters, our next meeting is at Staley Farms Club House. We are inviting your significant other as a guest of UNICO. This means you pay the regular $20 and UNICO will pay for your spouse. However, I need for you to RSVP by JULY 25rd. You can email me or call me at 816-985-3192 to let me know if you’ll be attending. I’ve asked each of our Vice Presidents to make a call to all members to get a head count. We need to pre-pay for the meals, and this is why we need for you to RSVP for this month. Thanks in advance for your understanding.

At our last meeting we approved the slate of officers for 2011/2012:

• President – Mike Mange
• 1st Vice President – Mike Cucchiara Jr.
• 2nd Vice President – Joe Cherrito
• 3rd Vice President – Marc Enna
• Secretary – Joe Cygan
• Treasurer – Mike Cucchiara/Tom Rago
• Health & Welfare – Charlie Malaponte
• Scholarship Chairman – Dave Sullivan
• Presidential Advisor/Membership Retention-Expansion – Frank Cherrito

All officers will be sworn in at our dinner meeting. We will also swear in any new member that has not yet been sworn in. New members please try to attend and everyone can be sworn in at once.

Our annual Microbrew Festival is quickly approaching. It will be held on August 13th at Zona Rosa from 3pm to 9pm. This will be a short event, but promises to be a fun time. We will need many volunteers, mostly to pour beer. I’ll have signup sheets at the meeting, and encourage everyone to help as much as you can. The shifts will be split from 2pm to 6pm and 6pm to 10pm. If you have time to work both shifts, we can surely use the help. We are up to approximately 24 breweries, which are up from 16 last year. Tickets are still $20 in advance and $25 at the gate.

Everyone should have received their annual dues notice. Please send your payment to Mike Cucchiara or bring the payment to our meeting. The annual membership fee is $80. If you have recently become a member within the previous few months, no money is due. I’d like to mention that from August 2010 to July 2011 we have signed 34 new members to our chapter, compared to 39 last year. I feel this is something to be proud of, and I encourage all members to continue to bring a guest as often as possible. Membership is the foundation to our future success and growth. With additional manpower, we can continue in the uphill direction that we are heading towards.

Festa 2011 has been nominated by the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association as one of the four finalists for “Favorite Family Festival/Event” in Kansas City. I encourage everyone to go online and place your vote; however you must live outside the Kansas City area for your vote to count.

Please keep the family of Mike and Tim Sullivan in your prayers. Their mother passed away this week. Charlie Malaponte has made contact with the family, and they have requested the UNICO donation be made out to the Sister Servants of Mary.

I want to take this time to thank all of our members for the help and support that you have given me over the past two years. We have made some major strides and have overcome many obstacles. Most importantly we have done this together. Each person has contributed in his own way. Being President of UNICO Kansas City has been both rewarding and challenging, however I would not have wanted it any other way. The people I have met and the friendships I have made will last a lifetime. But it’s the help that we have given to so many, together, that I’ll never forget.

I welcome our new President and the slate of incoming offers. You will have my trust and my support during the challenges you will face. As a group, we have had many accomplishments, but there is much more left to do. Our members will provide needed support, but in times of disagreements; you’ll need to listen the most. We are in need of new ideas and new energy that you will bring to UNICO. Have trust in knowing that over 120 men will stand behind the decisions you will make, and that these are the same men that have chosen you to be our leader. Should anything go wrong, just blame me. That’s what Mike Cucchiara told me to do!

I still believe that Unicans that eat together will stay together!

CIAO!
Frank J. Cherrito

Dear UNICO Member,

After 9 months of preparation, we have finally made it through the 2011 Festa! Our Treasurer and Finance Manager have been pulling the numbers together and I’m looking forward to reviewing our totals. There are a few invoices that need to be mailed to us, but I’m told the event totals look to be our best yet.

For starters, I want to thank all UNICO members and their wives for volunteering at this year’s event. Without your commitment and generosity, we could not have made the event so successful. A very special thank you goes out to Father Joe for his prayers throughout the week and for saying mass on Sunday. We did not receive a drop of rain and I’m very grateful we were able to get the weekend in completely dry. I can single people out, but know I will unintentionally forget someone. I would like to acknowledge our Festa committee. The dedication and hard work that was put forth by the committee should be commended. I can’t say enough about this group and I’m glad to have worked alongside each of them. Each year we add new attractions to the Festa and have continued to enjoy the success. Every person that I have spoke with since the Festa has commented on what a great time they had and are looking forward to it again next year. I even had a call on the Monday after Festa and was asked, “My cousin is getting married next year and she wants to have a June wedding, but doesn’t want for it to fall on the same weekend as Festa. Do you know the dates yet?”

For those of you that did not get the chance to meet our UNICO National President, I’m here to tell you, Chris was very down to earth and seemed like he was a member of our own chapter. On behalf of the Kansas City Chapter UNICO, I presented Chris with a gift for him and his wife. The gifts were made and donated to UNICO by Balano Jewelry. Both pieces were top-shelf items. Ann was given a UNICO button that was made into a necklace that had diamonds placed around it. Chris was given a gold ring with the UNICO button in the center and it also had diamonds placed around it.

Past UNICO National President, Andre DiMino and his wife Jenny spent the entire weekend at Festa. After talking to Andre, he had informed me that he has attended many Italian Festivals throughout the United States. He said that our Kansas City Chapter is the ONLY chapter that he knows of who put together an Italian Festival from start to finish. All other festivals throughout the country are organized by government or professional event-planners and UNICO chapters rent booth space. He still is amazed that a small group in Kansas City organizes such a Festa of this caliber. This is something we should all be proud of. Andre is already excited about next year. He played a key role in getting Deana to come to F esta this year and has made some calls for entertainment for Festa 2012.

We also had a visit from Mayor Sly James. The Mayor had some very nice words to say about our Festa and more importantly he acknowledged the importance of our scholarship program awarding $51,000.

New Business: (I hope you didn’t expect me to use this whole newsletter patting ourselves on the back). One door has closed, however one more still remains open. The next task at hand is our annual Microbrew Festival. The Brew Fest will be held on August 13th at Zona Rosa from 3pm to 9pm. We will need many volunteers to pull this event off and hope our members are able to help support this fundraiser. There is strength in numbers!

Congratulations to John Kean and his UNICO Bocce Team. The team finished in 13th place, which is a big improvement from last year, 16th place-Dead Last!

We have organized a nominating committee for our next slate of officers. I will present a proposed slate for 2011/2012 at our dinner meeting. Our chapter will need to approve the slate of officers at our meeting Wednesday June 22nd. All newly elected officers will be sworn in at our July meeting and will officially take office August 1st. This will be a special meeting and we invite everyone’s spouse or significant other to the July meeting when officers are sworn in.

• President — Mike Mange
• 1st Vice President — Mike Cucchiara Jr.
• 2nd Vice President — Joe Cherrito
• 3rd Vice President — Marc Enna
• Secretary — Joe Cygan
• Treasurer — Mike Cucchiara/Tom Rago
• Health & Welfare — Charlie Malaponte
• Scholarship Chairman — Dave Sullivan
• Presidential Advisor/Membership Retention-Expansion — Frank Cherrito

At our next dinner meeting I’d like to honor all past UNICO Presidents and have all of you come together as a group and take a photo. I’d also like for each of you to say a few words about UNICO. I hope all past Presidents can attend. I think it is equally important to recognize where we have been in order to see where we are going!

I still believe that Unicans that eat together will stay together!

CIAO!
Frank J. Cherrito

Dear UNICO member,

GENERAL MEETING: FOR MEMBERS, SPOUSE OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER.
DINNER WILL BE PROVIDED FOR YOUR SPOUSE BY UNICO.

Festa! Festa! Festa! Mark your calendars for June 3, 4, and 5th at Zona Rosa. The Festa Committee has spent the last 9 months preparing for our event which celebrates our wonderful Italian heritage. In my opinion, the efforts and preparation brought forth by this year’s committee has been second to none. The countless hours and commitment put forth by the UNICO members is very much appreciated. I feel honored to have worked alongside each and every committee member. We have implemented new ideas and streams of revenue that will help UNICO continue to give $50,000 away in scholarships for years to come. Not only have we added new streams of revenue for UNICO, but in the process we will allow the patrons of Festa Italiana to have a much more memorable experience while they spend the weekend at Zona Rosa.

For those of you that have seen the Festa Publication, you know how wonderful it turned out. For those of you that have not seen it, you need to pick up a copy. It is something that you will want to hang on to. I can’t say enough about the commitment Jim Murray has made in making this publication what it has become. Jim started writing articles after last year’s Festa and worked on it throughout the year. Jim took on a staff writer, Joe Cherrito, and Joe added some amazing article’s to the final masterpiece. A publication of this quality is something you would not expect to get from someone who is volunteering their time. It is very much something you’d expect to see from a professional corporation. Thanks again, Jim and Joe, for your time and hard work. I could not be more proud of your completed project.

Now is the time to start marketing our event through our email contacts. I’ve attached a Festa Poster and ask that each of your send it to your personal contacts. The viral aspect of getting the word out can be a very powerful tool. The Festa Committee feels a majority of the people who attend the Catholic Parishes in the Northland will also be the same people who attend our Festa. I’d like to have, one UNICO member from each parish, volunteer to ask permission to place our Festa Publication in the exit area of the church. This can be a good way to inform people about the Festa.

Volunteers! Volunteers! Volunteers! This is the time at which we call on the rest of our chapter to help pull the final pieces together. The Festa Committee will get us in place for June 3rd, but it’s the rest of the chapter that is needed to complete the event. I encourage each of you to help as much, or as little as you can. Any amount of time that you can volunteer will be appreciated. Joe Nastasi will have a signup sheet at our dinner meeting and he will also be following up with phone calls.

The 2nd Edition Italian-American Tribune has been completed and we have printed 100 copies to be sold. The book is 100 pages, spiral bound, complete with “NEW PAGES” and will sell for $30. UNICO will have a net profit of $15 per book. Any member wanting to purchase a book can do so at our dinner meeting.

Cascone’s will host a dinner on June 2, 2011 with special guest Deana Martin. The night will include dinner, a book signing, a couple of songs from Deana, and more importantly, Deana will discuss what inspired her to write a book about her father. Tickets are for sale through Cascone’s Restaurant at $50.00 a person and can be purchased at their restaurant. Don’t delay, as there will be limited seating!

Finally, because faith is the foundation of our tradition, I would like to encourage all members to join us in celebrating our outdoor mass that will be held on Sunday 10am June 5th at Zona Rosa.

I still believe that Unicans that eat together will stay together!

CIAO!
Frank J. Cherrito

Dear UNICO member,

I want to thank everyone that came to our last dinner meeting at Johnny C’s. We had a record turnout of 87 attendees, which included some of our new friends from National. I also want to thank the guys from our chapter that attended the National Meetings and Dinners. We had the opportunity to meet many people from around the country who I am proud to call my fellow Unicans. A special "thank you" goes out to 1st Vice President Mike Mange. Mike attended every meeting from start to finish, and he helped out with a variety of odds and ends that were needed by UNICO National. While spending the full week with Mike, I’ve come to realize that guys who have a lot of hair must all spend a better part of their time applying different kinds of gels to their hair throughout the day. Many times he’d leave to take a bathroom break, come back, and his hair would be shinning like he just left a Turtle Wax Company! Call it what you want; I see this as a good stock opportunity in the VO5 Company.

We also learned at the National meetings that UNICO National has approximately 140 chapters across the USA. Our very own Kansas City chapter ranks 3rd in total members, and we are 30 short from moving into the #2 position. Andre’ said that once our chapter hits that milestone to let him know, and special recognition would be given to us in ComUNICO. We were also told our chapter ranks #1 in the dollar amount of scholarships that are awarded on an annual basis. When it comes to scholarships, we actually give more than UNICO National! This is something our chapter should be very proud of.

Speaking of scholarships, the committee has met, and I’m proud to announce that all 31 applicants will receive a scholarship. We had set a goal of $50,000 and awarded $51,000. A big thank you goes out to Dave Sullivan and the rest of the committee. Dave will give us an update and provide more details at our next dinner meeting. I appreciate all that the committee has done. We all have our regular jobs, but it’s times like this, you come to understand why we commit our time. We have all worked much harder these past few years with our many fundraisers, but when you see the figures on paper and then realize all the good that comes from it, you quickly lose track of the countless hours we spend "working". I'm a better person for being part of our UNICO chapter, but more importantly I treasure the friendships!

The Festa committee is in full force in the planning process of this year’s 2011 event. Cascone’s will host a dinner on June 2, 2011 with special guest Deana Martin. The night will include dinner, a book signing, a couple of songs from Deana, and more importantly Deana will discuss what inspired her to write a book about her father. Tickets are for sale through Cascone’s Restaurant at $50.00 a person and can be purchased at their restaurant. Don’t delay, as there will be limited seating!

Also, we’re approaching our deadline on the Family/Business banners. If you would like to display your family name or business at Festa this year, let me know at our meeting. The cost is $100 per banner.

I still believe that Unicans that eat together will stay together!

CIAO!
Frank J. Cherrito

Dear UNICO member,

Big News for UNICO Kansas City! I am told for the first time, in the history of UNICO Kansas City, we will have the honor of our UNICO National President and UNICO Past National President, join us for dinner at our monthly meeting. Chris and I have been going over some details for the National meeting and I thought it would be nice to extend the invite. Chris had said he would be happy to join us and that he would also bring about 8 guys with him. The other guests will include some of the UNICO National Officers.

Needless to say, I’m honored to have the opportunity to host our friends from National. I’m asking everyone to try your best to join us for dinner this month. We all know there is strength in numbers and I can’t think of a better time to show our strength to National. TOGETHER we’ve come a long way! It wasn’t too long ago; Mike Cucchiara was holding these monthly meetings in a station wagon at Sonic. No more plastic silverware Mike. This month we use the real stuff.

I want to thank everyone that came out and helped volunteer at our annual fish dinner. Also, thanks to all the guys who sold tickets for us. We hit a record in sales; just a little over $6,000!! Great work by all. A special thank you goes out to the ladies who have worked the front line year after year. You can always count on them and I appreciate their commitment and what they do. I also want to thank Father Rogers for jumping in and helping us out. Father also helped our walk up sales by moving the start time of the Stations of the Cross. What we do is a group effort and I’m honored to be part this group. We may not be the largest group in UNICO, but we are a close knit group that knows how to get things done. You guys define “Service above Self,” and I know St. Andrew’s has expressed their appreciation for what we have done.

I’ve beat this horse to death and this will be the last month you hear this reminder: The UNICO National Board of Directors Mid-Western & Western Regional Meetings for 2011 will be held in Kansas City. The Intercontinental Kansas City, on the Country Club Plaza, will host the events that will take place March 23-27, 2011. Saturday evening will feature the Marconi Award Dinner Gala. Your spouse is invited to attend.

We still have space for two more couples at the Ethnic Enrichment Commissions Annual Diplomatic Ball. The Ball will be held on April 2, 2011 at the Downtown Marriott. The fee to attend is $60 per UNICO member. UNICO will cover the cost for your spouse. Last year we had 10 couples, from UNICO represent the country of ITALY, and had a very enjoyable evening. If you would like to attend this year’s event, please let me know ASAP!

The Festa committee is in full force with planning of this year’s 2011 event. It is our belief that we need to continue to add new features year after year. We need to keep attendance up and the event fresh. The Festa will have some new features this year, such as: An official festa picture booth, cannoli eating contest, VIP tables, 2nd edition Italian Tribune book, dinner with Deana Martin, Memorial booth for our deceased UNICO members, Italian celebrity posters, Facebook page, and possibly a grape stomping booth. Jerry Viviano is working his magic and has many new acts that will grace our stage. Sponsorships are coming in and the Festa publication promises to be the best yet. You’ll see many fascinating articles by Jim Murray and Joe Cherrito. Chuck Romano is working on a deal for UNICO to hang a large Festa banner on the Parisi building by mid April. The building faces I-35 and has several thousand cars that will pass by it daily!

I still believe that Unicans that eat together will stay together!

CIAO!
Frank J. Cherrito

Dear UNICO member,

Our next fundraiser will be our annual fish dinner at St. Andrew's Catholic School. The fish dinner will be held on Friday, March 11, 2011. A special thank you goes out to Jerry Viviano for donating all the food for this event, along with Phil Balano and Anthony Pace who have donated all the beverages. We will need volunteers to help work and I will have a signup sheet at our next meeting. All members should have received tickets to sell. If possible, please turn in your ticket sales at our February dinner meeting. If you're unable to attend the meeting, please mail a check to Mike Cucchiara, 1307 NE 86th St., KCMO 64155 for your ticket sales.

As many of you already know, the UNICO National Board of Directors Mid-Western & Western Regional Meetings for 2011 will be held in Kansas City. The Intercontinental Kansas City, on the Country Club Plaza, will host the events that will take place March 23-27, 2011. I have attached a registration form that you will need to mail to UNICO National if you would like to attend the meetings or ceremonies. Current UNICO National President, Chris DiMattio, has asked me to do my best to get as many members as I can to attend the event. Meetings are in the day, but the awards ceremony and dinner is Saturday evening. A reception will be held on Friday evening. Saturday evening will feature the Marconi Award Dinner Gala. Your spouse is invited to attend both nights.

I've also attached an invitation to the Ethnic Enrichment Commissions Annual Diplomatic Ball. The Ball will be held on April 2, 2011 at the Downtown Marriott. The fee to attend is $60 per UNICO member and UNICO will cover the cost for your spouse. Last year we had 10 couples, from UNICO, represent the country of ITALY and had a very enjoyable evening. If you would like to attend this year's event, please RSVP to me by March 1, 2011.

Lastly, as many of you know, the Argosy Casino has come on board as a major sponsor for this year's Festa Italiana. Our February dinner meeting will be at the Argosy and held in their Pre-Function dining room. If you can make this month’s meeting, I'll need for you to send me an RSVP as soon as you can or no later than Monday the 21st. The reason is; if I tell the Argosy to set the room for 50 people and we only have 40 attend, UNICO will be charged for all 50 people. The Argosy has a very nice dinner planned for us and if you so desire, you can always try your luck at the tables later that evening.

I still believe that Unicans that eat together will stay together!

CIAO!
Frank J. Cherrito

Dear UNICO member,

Back to Business! We have much to be proud of in 2010, but the true test lies ahead of us. There is so much we have accomplished, however there is more we still can achieve. We all can agree the foundation of our group and future success will come from membership. If we can continue to grow our membership, more doors will open and more good will be done for those who need it. I'd like to set a personal goal for each member to sign up one new member before our Festa. This gives us until June 3rd to reach our goal. At the very least, Joe Nastasi will be pleased with the additional choices he'll have for volunteers.

As many of you know, the UNICO National Board of Directors Mid-Western & Western Regional Meetings for 2011 will be held in Kansas City. The Intercontinental Kansas City, at the Plaza, will host the events that will take place March 23-27, 2011. To be chosen as the city that will host this event is quite the honor. Past UNICO President Andre DiMino had pushed for this after his visit at last year's Festa. I have attached a registration form that you will need to mail to UNICO National if you would like to attend the meetings or ceremonies. Current UNICO National President, Chris DiMattio, has asked me to do my best to get as many members as I can to attend the event. Meetings are in the day, but the awards ceremony and dinner is Saturday evening. A reception will be held on Friday evening. Saturday evening will feature the Marconi Award Dinner Gala. Your spouse is invited to attend both nights.

Moving on to new business, our next fundraiser will be or annual fish dinner at St. Andrew's Catholic School, from 5-8pm. The fish dinner will be held on March 11, 2011. The UNICO-St. Andrew's Fish Dinner has been a long time tradition for many Unicans. With your support, we will keep this tradition going. UNICO has committed to purchase a large statue that will be placed in the church. We will need volunteers to help work this event. We ask all UNICO members to sell 10 tickets or purchase the tickets as a donation. Ticket prices are $7 for an adult and $3 for children. I'll be handing out tickets at or next dinner meeting. If you're unable to attend the next meeting, please look for the tickets in the mail.

I still believe that Unicans that eat together will stay together!

CIAO!
Frank J. Cherrito