In May, the Nelson Italian-Canadian Society (NICS) held its annual Spring Banquet, which over the years has raised funds to help support a variety of charitable and not-for-profit groups in the community.
The NICS teamed up with Ferraro Foods in Trail, who generously donated all the food for the dinner. The donation from Ferraro Foods translated into a much larger revenue from the banquet.
“Over the years we have shopped at Ferraro Foods for the specialty Italian foods for our events and they have always supported our efforts," said NICS president Paul Boscariol. "This donation caught us by surprise when they indicated a strong desire to help us make a larger contribution to the Kootenay Lake Hospital Foundation.”
As a result, the NICS is pleased to make a donation of $5,500 to help the Kootenay Lake Hospital Foundation purchase essential medical equipment, specialty treatment chairs, and other key furnishings for the recently renovated Chemotherapy/IV Infusion Clinic.
The sellout crowd of 176 people at the banquet enjoyed a sumptuous Italian six-course feast. It took a group of 20 NICS volunteers to plan the event, set up the hall, prep and cook the dinner and clean up following the event.
For those fortunate enough to have enjoyed the dinner, it will be one to savour as head cook Cosimo Chirico determined that would be his final large scale event. Over the years Cosimo has been a mainstay in the kitchen at NICS events, but not to worry, he has passed on many of his skills and recipes to some of the younger NICS volunteers.
That includes the recipe for the Italian spaghetti sauce, which will be available for sale again late in the fall.
The NICS would like to thank all those who attended the banquet and who have supported all our fundraising efforts over the years. You are truly an integral part of the sharing spirit in Nelson!
