WBFF Fox 45 Interview with Tony Palumbo
Good Day Baltimore SIAB Bocee Interview with Mike Ray
WBFF Fox 45 Interview for the Annual Bocce Tournament and Family Picnic with Joe Papa
SIAB to announce the debut of The Maryland Italian Festival, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2023
On Saturday, Oct. 1, the Society of Italian American Businessmen (SIAB) will kick off the organization’s annual Bocce Tournament & Family Picnic benefiting the Special Olympics and officially announce the inaugural 2023 Maryland Italian Festival, which will take place at the same location, the Harford County Equestrian Center at 608 N. Tollgate Road in Bel Air, next year.
The Bocce Tournament & Family Picnic will be held from noon to 7 p.m. both days and is open to the public. Saturday, Oct. 1, will feature the public tournament, with the Special Olympics tournament taking place Sunday, Oct. 2. The public is invited to enjoy the bocce games, live entertainment, food, beer, wine and an espresso and coffee bar. Guests can also purchase imported Italian ceramics from an on-site vendor.
On Saturday, Oct. 1, SIAB representatives will officially announce the debut of the largest event in the organization’s history to date: the three-day Maryland Italian Festival, scheduled for Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, 2023. This event, the largest Italian festival in Maryland, celebrates the beginning of National Italian-American Heritage Month and coincides with the 10th anniversary of SIAB and Harford County’s Sestercentennial (250th anniversary) celebrations in 2023. To celebrate the announcement of the festival, SIAB will host a ribbon cutting with the singing of the Italian and American national anthems, in addition to a toast officially welcoming Harford County as the home of The Maryland Italian Festival, followed by the rolling of the first bocce ball to open this year’s tournament.
“We welcome guests to our annual Bocce Tournament & Family Picnic to celebrate community and fellowship and support Special Olympics athletes,” said Joe Papa, SIAB president. “As we look ahead to 2023 and the debut of The Maryland Italian Festival, we’re grateful for the support of our members and all those who partner with us to make events like our Bocce Tournament & Family Picnic possible. This continuing support allows us to make an impact on our core mission to help in the areas of education, family and child services, mental health and addiction.”
On Saturday, Oct. 1, 32 participating bocce teams will compete on four temporary courts in double-elimination style play for cash prizes of $800 for first place, $600 for second and $400 for third.
On Sunday, Oct. 2, members of the public are invited to witness Special Olympics athletes and partners from Harford County and Baltimore City compete. This competition helps the athletes prepare for the Maryland State Games in June 2023 and possibly qualify for the USA Games to be held in 2026 in Minnesota. In June of this year, a Harford County Olympian went to the USA Games in Orlando and returned with two gold and one silver medals.
Tickets for the 2022 Bocce Tournament & Family Picnic are $10 for one-day or $15 for two-day admission. Participation in the tournament is $200 per four-person team ($50 per person), which includes admission. Team registrations and tournament admission tickets are available through SIABBocce.com.
SIAB thanks to WJA Landscaping of Joppa, Maryland, for being the 2022 Bocce Tournament Grand Bocce Sponsor. Wayne Althoff and his crew from WJA Landscaping perform residential and commercial landscaping throughout the Baltimore and Harford County areas. Individuals may email WJA Landscaping for more information.
Additional business and individual sponsorships are available at various levels to support the Special Olympics and the athletes through SIABBocce.com.
For more information and updates on the inaugural Maryland Italian Festival taking place in 2023, visit www.marylanditalianfestival.com.
The November elections are in the books, and with the closing of SIAB's December general meeting, the gavel has been passed to the newly elected officers. The new officers will serve a two-year term, 2022 & 2023, and will be eligible to run for a second two-year period if elected.
Stepping down but remaining on the executive board is Past President Tony Palumbo. He, Past President, Italo Liberatore, Mark Dardozzi, Co-Founder & Past President, and Elio Scaccio, Co-Founder, with the officers above, will make up the executive board. The SIAB executive board would also like to thank Eric Rebbert and Dr. Jon Bellantoni for their years of service. They will remain members but will no longer serve as officers.
The SIAB is a fellowship of ethical and moral Italian-American businessmen who live, work, or worship in Harford County. Under our faith in God, we have come together as a charitable organization to support other non-profits in Maryland with similar beliefs. We assist in the education of local students through the support of scholarships. Our organization consists of men of Italian descent who band together to promote their Italian heritage, maintain a positive community image, and uphold the Italian family traditions.
For more information on SIAB, please visit our website at www.thesiab.org, visit us on Facebook, or call Joseph Papa 443-934-1744
Through their generous support and efforts, SIAB was able to present the Char Hope Foundation with a $25,000 donation. Char Hope is dedicated to helping adults facing the challenge of substance abuse move towards long-term recovery by providing a supportive family-like community on a social care farm. Char Hope stated, “SIAB’s $25,000 generous gift will enable Char Hope’s outreach program to prosper. Not only will Char Hope be able to offer this program to more recovery groups, but SIAB’s support brings Char Hope another step closer to building an enclosed arena, allowing programming to occur year-round and providing needed space for large recovery community gatherings.”
Joe Papa, President of SIAB, stated, “It was amazing to be back live and in-person at our signature event after a two-year hiatus. You could feel the energy throughout the evening. Our event, which was a record-breaking one, will allow us to support the community even more in 2023. I could not thank our gala committee enough, led by John Troiano, our dedicated members, sponsors, and attendees for a perfect event.”
The SIAB is a fellowship of ethical and moral Italian-American businessmen who live, work, or worship in Harford County. Under our faith in God, we have come together as a charitable organization to support other non-profits in Maryland with similar beliefs. We assist in the education of local students through the support of scholarships. Our organization consists of men of Italian descent who band together to promote their Italian heritage, maintain a positive community image, and uphold the Italian family traditions. Since its inception, The Society of Italian American Businessmen has given away over $573,000 in Grants, Donations, and Scholarships. SIAB would like to thank all of those who supported our efforts in helping us to make a positive impact on our local community.
For more information on SIAB, please visit our website at www.thesiab.org, visit us on Facebook, or call Joseph Papa 443-934-1744
