A philanthropic powerhouse for more than 30 years, the Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization has bestowed nearly $900,000 in scholarships and tens of thousands of dollars more to veterans in need over the decades.

In years past, most of those funds were raised at CIACO’s annual Honor and Hope gala, but last year the organization pivoted to a family fest at Casa Italia. Their 2022 Festa della Famiglia e Amici was such a resounding success that they decided to make it a new tradition.