Arlene Hawks spent 32 years at East Aurora High School teaching theater and something else. “I always said, be proud of who you are, and make sure you know who you are,” she said. On Friday, the celebration in downtown Aurora was about who she is.

She was honored as the city celebrated its Italian-American community, and Hawks was one of those who received recognition from the city as a person of Italian heritage. The Italian flag was raised in what has been dubbed One Aurora Plaza in front of North Island Center, where flag-raising has become a regular recognition of different communities within the city.