State President Carlo Matteucci of the New York Grand Lodge Foundation, Inc., Order Sons of Italy in America, has announced the reactivation of its Disaster Relief Program to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Disaster Relief Chairman Anthony DiCostanzo of Geneva, New York asks that we open our hearts and donate generously to help the “hundreds of thousands of American refugees who need our national concern and care.”  This is the time to show how compassionate and generous the Italian American community can be. It will be an investment in American on the part of all of us.

Each lodge and each member of OSIA must make the utmost effort to contribute to this fund raising campaign.  The New York Grand Lodge Foundation, Inc. will be accepting monetary donations for the “Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund”.  Donations are to be made out to and mailed to the NYSOSIA Grand Lodge Foundation, Inc., earmarked “Disaster Relief Fund Hurricane Katrina”.  The New York Grand Lodge Foundation will present all proceeds to the National Sons of Italy Foundation, which in turn will be donated directly to the “Bush Clinton Katrina Fund”.  You can read about this wonderful fund by accessing www.bushclintonkatrinafund.org.

The deadline for receipt of all donations is October 31, 2005.  Let us pull together to help one another and generously donate the funds needs to assist those fellow Americans directly affected by this event … not only out of sympathy and compassion, but out of a sense of duty and pride in being an American who wants to help a fellow American.