West Springfield UNICO was formed 50 years ago in 1966. To commemorate the milestone, West Springfield UNICO will host a 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Storrowton Carriage House in West Springfield, Massachusetts on Friday, October 14, 2016. Dinner will be served at 7:00 PM, preceded by a social hour and hors doeurves beginning at 6:00 PM. Musician Jay Contrino will perform traditional Italian music from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, followed by dancing to the music of local favorite Off the Record from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM. The meal will consist of either filet mignon, broined sea scallops, or chicken Piccatta, served with baked potato, vegetable, salad, beverage and dessert.

Tickets are $45 and they can be purchased from any UNICO member or by calling Jean Robinson at 788-4936, Karen DiClementi at 896-0506, or Carm Santaniello at 788-8314. Tickets will also be available at the West Springfield Park & Recreation Department during regular business hours.

UNICO is a non-profit Italian service organization founded in Waterbury, Connecticut in 1922 by a small group of Italian immigrants. The founders' dream was to create an Italian-American service organization to perform charitable works and support higher education. More importantly, they wanted to perform patriotic deeds to dispel the perception that Italian immigrants remained loyal to their homeland, a perception created by the highly-publicized 1920 arrest, conviction, and 1927 execution of anarchists Niccola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti for robbery and murder. UNICO's founders wanted to ensure that the public understood that Italian Americans loved their newly-adopted country and held no allegiance to their native land, other than their traditions and culture.

The name UNICO was selected as best representing the organization's nature and character. UNICO is the Italian word for "unique, or "one of a kind." The founders believed that UNICO would be the only one of its kind because it placed service to the community before and above fraternity. At the same time, they hoped that the rest of society would come to know and understand the real contributions of Italian-Americans to the American way of life. To achieve this goal, members understood that they would have to make sacrifices, not for personal gain, but for service to others. In the ensuing years, UNICO became an acronym that stood for "Unity, Neighborliness, Integrity, Charity, and Opportunity".

In 1947, UNICO became a national organization as local chapters formed throughout the country. UNICO National is headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey. UNICO currently has local chapters in 24 states, including 6 in Massachusetts. Of the 6 Massachusetts chapters, 5 are located in Western Massachusetts, including East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Wilbraham.

UNICO's West Springfield chapter was formed in August 1966 by 27 townsmen of Italian descent. Children and grandchildren of the founding members are among the current members, including Jean Robinson, daughter of Tony D'Orazio, and David Pandolfi, son of John Pandolfi.

Since its inception, the West Springfield chapter has continued UNICO's proud tradition of "service above self" by tirelessly serving the Town of West Springfield. In the 1970s, West Springfield UNICO constructed and donated to the Town the building known as "the UNICO Building" located in Mittineague Park. Later, in 1996, UNICO constructed and donated the in-ground swimming pool, also located in Mittineague Park. The UNICO building and pool, which were recently renovated by the Town, are most notably used for Camp Robinson, the Park & Recreation's summer camp for special needs children. For the past half century, the majority of West Springfield UNICO's efforts have been dedicated to serving area "special needs" individuals.

West Springfield UNICO is perhaps best known for hosting the annual Fourth of July Chicken Dinner on the Town Common, and Senior Center Super Bowl Luncheon, and quarterly Family Style Suppers at the Dante Club.

West Springfield UNICO's charitable activities include free monthly dances for Western Massachusetts special needs individuals. During the dances, guests are treated to pizza, donuts, drinks, and music. Other UNICO special needs activities include an annual Special Needs Christmas Party and a June prom for special needs individuals. West Springfield UNICO also sponsors youth sports teams participating in the Town's recreation programs, awards annual scholarships to graduating West Springfield residents, and donates funds to other charitable groups in the area, such as CHD, American Red Cross, West Springfield schools and PTOs, and the Italian Cultural Center. This year, West Springfield UNICO awarded $500 scholarships to four deserving West Springfield High School graduates.