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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Ms. Joanne Spata has been named a recipient of the
3 Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Humanitarian of the Year Award given
4 by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA); and
 
5     WHEREAS, The JCCIA's Joseph Cardinal Bernardin
6 Humanitarian of the Year Award is presented annually to those
7 whose lives exemplify the virtues of caring, humanity, and good
8 will that were the hallmark of Cardinal Bernardin's tenure as
9 Archbishop of Chicago; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Ms. Spata has been a familiar face in the
11 Italian-American community for the past 25 years and has
12 donated thousands of hours to community service; she has
13 assisted with the planning and execution of the Columbus Day
14 Parade, the Italian Market on the Daley Plaza, Christmas Around
15 the World at the Field Museum, Villa Day, Festa di Tutti Santi
16 (which she founded), countless St. Joseph Tables, and the
17 former Festa Italiana when it was held on Navy Pier; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Ms. Spata broke the barrier by being the first
19 woman elected President of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian
20 Americans Congress in 2003, after the JCCIA had been in
21 existence for 50 years; she is also a past President of the
22 Women's Division of the JCCIA, past President of the Young
23 Adult Division of the JCCIA, and past President of the Italian
24 Singles' Club of Chicago; she was not only the youngest
25 President of the Villa Scalabrini home for the Aged Volunteers,
26 but the first to preside over both their Men's League and
27 Ladies' Auxiliary; and
 
28     WHEREAS, During her presidency of the JCCIA Congress, she
29 received numerous awards and honors for her accomplishments
30 from Mayor Richard Daley, Cook County Treasurer Marie Pappas,
31 Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown, and President of the

 

 

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1 Cook County Board of Commissioners William Stroger, Jr.; she
2 has been recognized through proclamations issued in both the
3 Illinois House of Representatives and the Senate for her
4 achievements and dedication; she has also been listed in the
5 Congressional Records for her involvement and community
6 support; and
 
7     WHEREAS, She is a proud past recipient of the prestigious
8 David Award, "with great expectations in the field of
9 fraternalism", which was presented to her by the Itlo-American
10 National Union, and The Silent Benefactor Award, presented by
11 the Board of Directors of the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii;
12 and
 
13     WHEREAS, She is a past two time Chairperson of the Italian
14 Heritage Ball and Cotillion, past Chairperson of the JCCIA
15 Women's Division Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show, the
16 John Fischetti Scholarship, and more than a dozen other events
17 benefiting the Italian-American Community, many of which she
18 continues to participate in today; over the years she has been
19 a member and whole-hearted supporter of the Human Relations
20 Committee of the JCCIA and the Italian Cultural Center; she is
21 a past board member of Casa Italia and an active Board member
22 of the Sicilian American Cultural Association; and
 
23     WHEREAS, She was the Executive Director of The Shrine of
24 Our Lady of Pompeii, the oldest continuing Italian Catholic
25 Church in the City of Chicago, from 1994 to 1999, when it was
26 first declared a Shrine and helped to raise more than $2.2
27 million above their normal income during her tenure there;
28 although she is currently the Business Manager for St. John
29 Brebeuf Parish, she still actively oversees the
30 Italian-American Community's Columbus Day kick-off celebration
31 of the Eucharist at the Shrine each year; she also receives
32 on-air credit from all three of the major television stations,
33 which broadcast the Columbus Day Parade, for her production of

 

 

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1 the script, which is used by not only all the on-air talent,
2 but by the reviewing stand commentators as well; therefore, be
3 it
 
4     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
6 we congratulate Ms. Joanne Spata on being a recipient of the
7 Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Humanitarian of the Year Award given
8 by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans; and be it
9 further
 
10     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11 presented to Ms. Spata as an expression of our esteem.