What an Amazing Night! Viva La Panza, the premier fundraising and networking event of the Italian community, drew 450 men and women to Todaro’s Party Center on Wednesday October 28, 2021 for an evening of great food and comaraderie. The event downsized from 670 attendees to 450 was in recognition of Covid concerns.

The celebration presented by the Italian American Professional Business Club and The House of LaRose, co-chaired by John Montisano and Ralph Trecaso, raises funds to award scholarships for students of Italian descent. The IAPBC has raised and distributed over $1,000,000. over the past 82 years.

The organization has recently teamed up with the Akron Community Foundation to start a permanent endowment fund, chaired by John Vallillo, with the intent to leave a legacy to help students of Italian decent going to college. This year, the event raised $80,000 plus an additional $125,000 for the Dee Dee Andreoli Memorial Scholarship Fund. Rennick Andreoli, president of RDA Hotel Management Company, which has owned, operated and renovated more than 30 hotels, including its current area hotel properties: the Hilton Akron/Fairlawn, the DoubleTree Akron/Fairlawn and the Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls, offered a pledge to begin the scholarship process to honor his wife Dorthelynn (Dee Dee) who unfortunately passed away recently and asked others to add to the pledge.

Twenty four individuals from the audience increased the amount to $97,000 and after the event 6 other individuals increased the amount to $125,000. Anyone interested in donating may do so by sending your check made out to: Akron Community Foundation, add to the memo: IAPBC-Andreoli and mail to: Wells Trecaso Group, c/o Ralph Trecaso, 3560 West Market Street, Suite 340, Akron, Ohio 44333.