A representation of students from La Scuola d'Italia and other schools returned to cheer up the reception hall of the Italian Consulate in New York with the Christmas Action Party 2022, which resumes the tradition of pre-Christmas playful-sports games set to healthy nutrition and motor activity for children from the Italian, Italian American and Italianophile communities of the Tri-State.

The games were held last Friday under the auspices of the Consulate of Italy in New York and in the presence of Consul General Fabrizio Di Michele. "Thank you for coming to the consulate to participate in this renewed initiative. The consulate is the home of all Italians, Italian Americans and Italophiles in our constituency," said the Consul bringing his welcome and best wishes of the upcoming holidays to the young athletes and their accompanying parents.

Cav. Uff. Mico Delianova Licastro, CONI delegate to the U.S., after thanking the consul for hosting the event said he was happy with the resumption of this event and wished together with the principal and COO of La Scuola d'Italia Stefania Stipo that a team of students from La Scuola d'Italia could participate in the Coni Trophy in Italy in September 2023.

"With the Christmas Action Party 2022, we resumed the winning format of previous editions by recovering some of the street games of historical memory," Licastro said. Taking turns, all the children tried their hand at the games of jump rope, golf hole toss, hoops, skittles and classroom hoop. "Coni USA is renewing a series of initiatives for 2023, such as the National Day of Sports at the CIE-Communities of Italians Abroad in early June, and elaborating new events including a Festival of Traditional Street Games to be played on a New York street, all initiatives in collaboration with community associations and institutions, including the NY Comites," Licastro said.

Despite the intrusiveness of technology, the appeal of street games has a solid hold in the very young generation. This was confirmed by the passion shown by all the girls and boys, the smiles of the winners, and the tears of those who participated in Christmas Action Party 2022 with true Olympic spirit. A certificate of participation went to all the athletes and a certificate of appreciation to the competition judges. "Street games are part of the memory of the less young," Licastro explained, "and they are a heritage of Italian and Italian-American popular culture and also of many other cultures. The streets and courtyards of our communities are no longer playgrounds as they once were, but in street games the child can rediscover the simplicity, joy and creativity of motor activities that harken back to the leisure time experience of millions of our immigrants."

The winners of the Christmas Action Party 2022 edition are: in the golf pitches Isabella Giardiello excelled, in the hula hoop Beatrice De Romanis excelled, while Alessandra Gajo won the hoop throwing, rope jumping and skittles competitions, and was also awarded overall winner at the end, followed by Maria Lucas Dalla Patti and Niccolò Ricciardi.

Running the games were the five "competition judges" Viola Pellizzoni, Elisa Rakowski, Simone Mattone, Tommaso D'Angelo and Riccardo Bean, high school students from La Scuola d'Italia, coordinated by Paolo Tartamella, a sports journalist who has been working with Coni USA for years both in activities in New York and on trips to Italy.

The collaboration of some of the mothers of La Scuola d'Italia made possible the subsequent refreshment based on health foods, as well as festive and family-friendly, with the presence on the table, and on the children's plates, of the traditional panettone.

The association "I AM FaST" Italian American Families and Sports Together made an active contribution to the event.